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Raffia palm
 
 
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The Raffia palms (Raphia) are a genus
Genus

A genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The taxonomic ranks are domain , kingdom , phylum, class , order , family , genus, and species....
 of twenty species of palms
Arecaceae

Palm or Palmae or Panamea , the palm family, is a family of flowering plants belonging to the Monocotyledon order, Arecales. There are roughly 202 currently known Genus with around 2600 species, most of which are restricted to tropics, subtropics, and warm temperate climates....
 native to tropical regions of Africa
Africa

Africa is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km? including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area....
, especially Madagascar
Madagascar

Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar , is an island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa. The main island, also called Madagascar, is the List of islands by area, and is home to 5% of the world's plant and animal species, of which more than 80% are Endemism to Madagascar....
, with one species (R. taedigera) also occurring in Central
Central America

Central America is a central geography region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmus portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast....
 and South America
South America

South America is the southern continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere....
. They grow up to 16 m tall and are remarkable for their compound pinnate leaves
Leaf

In botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant Organ specialized for photosynthesis. For this purpose, a leaf is typically flat and thin, to expose the cells containing chloroplast to light over a broad area, and to allow light to penetrate fully into the tissues....
, the longest in the plant kingdom; leaves of R. regalis up to 25.11 m
Metre

The metre or meter is a Unit of measurement of length. It is the SI base unit of length in the metric system and in the International System of Units , used around the world for general and scientific purposes....
 long and 3 m wide are known. The plants are either monocarpic
Monocarpic

Monocarpic plants are those that flower, set seeds and then die. Other terms with the same meaning are hapaxanth and Reproduction#Other types of reproductive strategies....
, flowering once and then dying after the seeds are mature, or hapaxanthic, with individual stems dying after fruiting but the root system remaining alive and sending up new stems.

le>


ia fibres have many uses, especially in the area of textiles and in construction.






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The Raffia palms (Raphia) are a genus
Genus

A genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The taxonomic ranks are domain , kingdom , phylum, class , order , family , genus, and species....
 of twenty species of palms
Arecaceae

Palm or Palmae or Panamea , the palm family, is a family of flowering plants belonging to the Monocotyledon order, Arecales. There are roughly 202 currently known Genus with around 2600 species, most of which are restricted to tropics, subtropics, and warm temperate climates....
 native to tropical regions of Africa
Africa

Africa is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km? including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area....
, especially Madagascar
Madagascar

Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar , is an island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa. The main island, also called Madagascar, is the List of islands by area, and is home to 5% of the world's plant and animal species, of which more than 80% are Endemism to Madagascar....
, with one species (R. taedigera) also occurring in Central
Central America

Central America is a central geography region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmus portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast....
 and South America
South America

South America is the southern continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere....
. They grow up to 16 m tall and are remarkable for their compound pinnate leaves
Leaf

In botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant Organ specialized for photosynthesis. For this purpose, a leaf is typically flat and thin, to expose the cells containing chloroplast to light over a broad area, and to allow light to penetrate fully into the tissues....
, the longest in the plant kingdom; leaves of R. regalis up to 25.11 m
Metre

The metre or meter is a Unit of measurement of length. It is the SI base unit of length in the metric system and in the International System of Units , used around the world for general and scientific purposes....
 long and 3 m wide are known. The plants are either monocarpic
Monocarpic

Monocarpic plants are those that flower, set seeds and then die. Other terms with the same meaning are hapaxanth and Reproduction#Other types of reproductive strategies....
, flowering once and then dying after the seeds are mature, or hapaxanthic, with individual stems dying after fruiting but the root system remaining alive and sending up new stems.

Species

  • Raphia africana Otedoh
  • Raphia australis
    Raphia australis

    The Giant Palm or Rafia is a species of raffia palm in the Arecaceae family.It is found in Mozambique and South Africa.It is threatened by habitat loss....
     Oberm. & Strey
  • Raphia farinifera (Gaertn.) Hyl.
  • Raphia gentiliana De Wild.
  • Raphia hookeri G.Mann & H.Wendl.
  • Raphia laurentii De Wild.
  • Raphia longiflora G.Mann & H.Wendl.
  • Raphia mambillensis Otedoh
  • Raphia mannii Becc.
  • Raphia matombe De Wild.
  • Raphia monbuttorum Drude
  • Raphia palma-pinus (Gaertn.) Hutch.
  • Raphia regalis
    Raphia regalis

    Raphia regalis is a species of flowering plant in the Arecaceae family.It is found in Angola, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, and Nigeria....
     Becc.
  • Raphia rostrata Burret
  • Raphia ruwenzorica Otedoh
  • Raphia sese De Wild.
  • Raphia sudanica A. Chev.
  • Raphia taedigera (Mart.) Mart.
  • Raphia textilis Welw.
  • Raphia vinifera P.Beauv.


    • Cultivation and uses

    Raffia fibres have many uses, especially in the area of textiles and in construction. In their local environments, they are used for ropes, sticks and supporting beams, and various roof coverings are made out of its fibrous branches and leaves. The membrane on the underside of each individual frond leaf is taken off to create a long thin fibre which can be dyed and woven as a textile into products ranging from hats to shoes to decorative mats. Plain raffia fibres are exported and used as garden ties or as a "natural" string in many countries. Especially when one wishes to graft trees, raffia is used to hold plant parts together as this natural rope has many benefits for this purpose.

    Raffia palm also provides an important cultural drink. The sap contains sugars. It is traditionally collected by cutting a box in the top of the palm and suspending a large gourd to collect the milky white liquid. Unlike oil palm
    Oil palm

    The oil palms comprise two species of the Arecaceae, or palm family. They are used in commercial agriculture in the production of palm oil. The African Oil Palm Elaeis guineensis is native to west Africa, occurring between Angola and Gambia, while the American Oil Palm Elaeis oleifera is native to tropical Central America and South A...
    s, this process kills the tree. Sap from both the raffia and oil palms can be allowed to ferment over a few days. When first collected from the tree, it is sweet and appears slightly carbonated. As it ages more sugar is converted. The sap is usually called wine. The raffia wine tends to be sweeter at any age when compared to oil palm wine. Both kinds of palm wine can also be distilled into strong liquors, such as Ogogoro
    Ogogoro

    Ogogoro is a west African alcoholic drink, usually brewed locally. It is most popular in Nigeria, where it is known as the country's homebrew. It is also known as akpeteshe , Sapele water, Kparaga, kai-kai, push-me-push-you, and/or crim-kena, Sons?....
    . Traditionally in some cultures where raffia and/or oil palm are locally available, guests and spirits are offered these drinks from the palm trees.

    The raffia palm is important in societies such as that of the Province of Bohol in the Philippines, Kuba
    Kuba Kingdom

    The Kuba Kingdom was a pre-colonial Central African state bordered by the Sankuru River, Lulua River, and Kasai River rivers in the southeast of what is today the Democratic Republic of the Congo ....
     of Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Democratic Republic of the Congo

    The Democratic Republic of the Congo , is a country in central Africa with a small length of Atlantic coastline. It is the third largest list of African countries in order of geographical area....
    , Nso
    Nso

    The Nso are a people of the Grasslands region in the Northwest Province of Cameroon. Their traditional language is Lamnso and their capital is Kumbo....
     of Cameroon
    Cameroon

    The Republic of Cameroon is a unitary state of central and western Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south....
    , the Igbo and Ibibio
    Ibibio

    Ibibio could refer to:*Ibibio language*Ibibio people...
    /Annang
    Annang

    The Annang is a cultural and ethnic group that lives in the coastal southeast Nigeria. At present, the Annangs have eight local government areas of the present thirty-one local government areas in Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria , namely Abak, Essien Udim, Etim Ekpo, Ika, Ikot Ekpene, Obot Akara, Oruk Anam and Ukanafun in the Akwa Ibom State of N...
     of southestern Nigeria
    Nigeria

    Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federation constitutional republic comprising States of Nigeria and one Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria....
     and the Yoruba
    Yoruba people

    Yoruba people are one of the largest ethno-linguistic group or ethnic groups in west Africa. The majority of the Yoruba speak the Yoruba language ....
     of southwestern Nigeria, among several other West African ethnic nations.

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