Raphia regalis
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 TC 398, Ngovagang, Cameroon, Feb 2014. Photo by Dr. Thomas Couvreur. | |||||||
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Contents
Habitat and Distribution
Africa. Occurrs in upland forest in Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea,
Description
Raphia regalis is an evergreen palm. The plant forms a short stem up to 1 metre long Acaulescent, but this is mainly buried underground so that the plant appears stemless. The stem is topped by a rosette of a few, very long, more or less erect leaves that can exceed 20 metres in length and are said to be the largest leaves of any plant.
Raphia regalis is a large, distinctive palm, its massive, pinnate leaves being the largest in the plant kingdom. In common with other members of the genus Raphia, these leaves wither but remain on the plant when they die. Raphia regalis appears to be stemless, but in fact has a short, stocky trunk, under a metre in length, buried just below the ground; the leaves of the palm therefore rise up from near ground level. Each leaf typically bears 180 leaflets on each side of the central stem, or rachis. Each leaflet measures up to 6.5 centimetres across at its widest point, and is green above and greyish-white and waxy below. Most Raphia species bear small spines along the margins and midrib of each leaflet, but these are sparse and inconspicuous in Raphia regalis.
Flowering in Raphia regalis usually occurs only after a prolonged period of vegetative growth, perhaps lasting years, at the end of which a burst of growth causes the central axis of the palm to elongate to four metres or more in height. This is followed by the development of large, complex, branched inflorescences, which can reach an impressive three metres in length and which, unusually for this genus, are held erect. Raphia regalis is monoecious, meaning that male and female flowers, which are reddish in colour and have a sharp, prickly tip, are borne on the same plant. The fruits of this palm are variable in size and shape, but are generally large, up to 9.5 centimetres in length, ovoid with a narrow base, and reddish-brown in colour. Each fruit is covered in symmetrical rows of large, shiny, overlapping scales, and contains a curved or spindle-shaped seed. Most Raphia palms shed large numbers of seeds, often leading to dense, uniform stands of the same species, although the fruits attract a range of animals which may aid in seed dispersal. Like all palms of this group, Raphia regalis flowers only once and then dies; monocarpic. Editing by edric.
Culture
Cold Hardiness Zone: 10b
Comments and Curiosities
Uses: The plant is commonly harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials. This highly distinctive palm, with no aerial trunk and with leaves rating among the largest in the plant kingdom, is likely under-recorded due to difficulties in collecting specimens of it, and in the fact that it has received limited taxonomic attention. Continuing decline is inferred because of extensive forest clearance for timber and for agricultural expansion in Nigeria and Bakossi. Selective felling for use in building and tapping of palm wine, mainly in Nigeria, poses a serious threat. The species may well be more threatened than the current listing indicates. The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
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Biology: Flowering in Raphia regalis usually occurs only after a prolonged period of vegetative growth, perhaps lasting years, at the end of which a burst of growth causes the central axis of the palm to elongate to four metres or more in height. This is followed by the development of large, complex, branched inflorescences, which can reach an impressive three metres in length and which, unusually for this genus, are held erect. Raphia regalis is monoecious, meaning that male and female flowers, which are reddish in colour and have a sharp, prickly tip, are borne on the same plant. The fruits of this palm are variable in size and shape, but are generally large, up to 9.5 centimetres in length, ovoid with a narrow base, and reddish-brown in colour. Each fruit is covered in symmetrical rows of large, shiny, overlapping scales, and contains a curved or spindle-shaped seed. Most Raphia palms shed large numbers of seeds, often leading to dense, uniform stands of the same species, although the fruits attract a range of animals which may aid in seed dispersal. Like all palms of this group, Raphia regalis flowers only once and then dies. Raphia palms have a wide range of uses, including as building materials, thatch, and in the production of palm wine. The leaves are also widely used to extract a fibre known as 'raffia', which is used to make baskets, twine and other products, and is exported for use as garden twine and in weaving. (eol.org) Editing by edric. Raphia regalis is a massive, stemless or almost stemless palm with leaves up to 25 m long, the largest leaves known in the plant kingdom. It occurrs in upland forest in Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo and Cabinda (Angola). The leaves are used for thatching and mat making, and provide pulp for paper making. The palm is tapped for palm wine. In Gabon unspecified plant parts are used against fever and worms. Raphia regalis is classified as vulnerable in the IUCN Red list, due to its fragmented occurrence and decline of its habitat.(PROTA) Conservation: Vulnerable. First described from a 1910 collection from the Oban area, Nigeria, this species was thought extinct in that country until a conscious effort to rediscover it in the 1970s by Otedoh proved successful, it being recorded in large numbers (at that time) in the Equi Issu hills near the Cameroonian border. In Cameroon it appears restricted to the Bakossi Mountains, where it has been collected at Ngomboku and recorded at Nyandong. It is also known from Gabon and Angola (Cabinda). The total area of occupancy is estimated to be < 2,000 km², and it is known from less than ten highly fragmented locations. This highly distinctive palm, with no aerial trunk and with leaves rating amongst the largest in the plant kingdom, is likely under-recorded due to difficulties in collecting specimens of it, and in the fact that it has received limited taxonomic attention, being treated only briefly in Otedoh’s revision of the genus Raphia (Journal of the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research 6(22), 1982), with no specimen citations. Continuing decline is inferred because of extensive forest clearance for timber and for agricultural expansion in Nigeria and Bakossi. Selective felling for use in building and tapping of palm wine, mainly in Nigeria, poses a serious threat. The species may well be more threatened than the current lisiting indicates. (IUCN Red List), edric. The world's largest leaf is though to be that of the Raffia Palm (Raphia regalis). Native to tropical Africa, it has leaves that can reach up to 80 feet (yes feet!) long. The Fairchild Botanical Garden in Florida has a stunning specimen in their collection. (Debra Graham) If by largest you mean longest, then the world's largest leaf is the record breaking Raphia regalis whose huge leaves that can reach a record breaking 25.11 metres long by 3 metres wide. However this is not a solid leaf as they are divided and are made up of around 180 separate leaflets. |
- IMAGE GALLERY
Costa del Sol Malaga Axarquia España. Pedro giving scale. Photo by Pedro Nicolas.
Photo by Debra Graham.
Photo: gardenofeaden.blogspot.co.uk
TC 398, Ngovagang, Cameroon, Feb 2014. Photo by Dr. Thomas Couvreur.
External Links
References
Phonetic spelling of Latin names by edric.
Special thanks to Geoff Stein, (Palmbob) for his hundreds of photos.
Special thanks to Palmweb.org, Dr. John Dransfield, Dr. Bill Baker & team, for their volumes of information and photos.
Glossary of Palm Terms; Based on the glossary in Dransfield, J., N.W. Uhl, C.B. Asmussen-Lange, W.J. Baker, M.M. Harley & C.E. Lewis. 2008. Genera Palmarum - Evolution and Classification of the Palms. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. All images copyright of the artists and photographers (see images for credits).
Many Special Thanks to Ed Vaile for his long hours of tireless editing and numerous contributions.
