Hyphaene petersiana
Hyphaene (high-FEHN-eh) petersiana (peters'-ee-AHN-ah) | |||||||
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North-West, Botswana. | |||||||
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Contents
Habitat and Distribution
Angola, Burundi, Caprivi Strip, Mozambique, Namibia, Northern Provinces, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zaire, and Zimbabwe.Alt: 275 - 1000 m. Africa: Saline subsoil. Found on sodic/saline alluvial soils with high water-tables. Occurs on the high water-table grasslands of Zimbabwe, Angola and Botswana. Southern Africa: Low altitude bushveld and along swamps, pans and rivers, often forming extensive stands. Zambia: Found in considerable numbers in savanna woodlands of Kirkia-Sclerocarya and in mopane woodland. Rare to occasional in almost all woodland types (on Kalahari sand), in Baikiaea forest and on suffrutex savannas. Africa: Savanna or secondary vegetation, also in streamside riparian vegetation. Zambia: Found in association with various vegetation types. 1) In mixed riverine vegetation in tall grass and mostly under the tree canopy. 2) In woodland. 3) On hard pan sites with short grass only. 4) In dense thicket being regrowth from riverine vegetation after cultivation. (PROTA4U)
Africa: Occurs in Tanzania from Lake Manyara and through Zaire to the west coast of Africa in Angola and Namibia. Africa: Found at high altitudes in Rwanda and Burundi. In east and southern Africa, occurs in a broad swathe from Tanzania southwards into north Transvaal and west into Angola and Zaire. Botswana: Occurs in sizeable numbers in the area stretching from Nata village, westward to the Okavango Delta. Botswana: Northern Botswana, from Nata to Shakawe, Delta and Makgadikgadi (according to Moss and Taylor, 1983, referring to the synonym H. benguellensis var. ventricosa). Namibia: Fairly widespread across northern Namibia, north of 20 degrees. Most abundant in the Cuvelai where it is often the dominant tree species. Two records from the Swakop River in the central Namibia desert, away from farms and unlikely to have been planted, probably represent regeneration from seeds washed down the river from cultivated palms upstream. Namibia: Kaokoveld, Owamboland, Etosha, Grootfontein, Kavango. Namibia: Very common along the Kunene and large seasonal rivers. Okavango Delta, Botswana: Very common, often forming homogenous island communities which cover the entire island. The Mogogelo floodplain is dominated by these palms, but the Khwai floodplain boasts only a few specimens. Prevalent around pans and on the edges of sand islands. Southern Africa: Far north of Namibia, northern Botswana, northern Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Angola, Zambia and Malawi. Zambia: Northern, Central, Eastern, Lusaka, Southern and Western Provinces. Zimbabwe: Widespread. Africa: Occurs on the high water-table grasslands of Zimbabwe, Angola and Botswana. (PROTA4U)
Southern Africa: Open, sandy country, not normally alongside watercourses. Riverine habitat, areas of high rainfall or areas with a high water-table. Namibia: Associated with rivers and floodplains in the north-west and nort-east, and pans and oshanas in the Cuvelai. Zambia: Locally frequent on dambo or plain margins, in lake basins and hard pan dambo and pan margins. Africa: Primarily found inland away from the coast. Zambia The palms grow on alluvium which is usually a red-brown or grey-brown clay sand derived from the hills of karoo sandstone and escarpment grits. They are confined to flatter ground in the valleys and occur mostly along the Kaulungu River valley and on slightly raised sandy deposits in long narrow strips near the Luangwa River. (PROTA4U)
Description
Leaves: Fan-shaped and arranged in a spiral along the apex of the ramet. The leaf petioles have hooked thorns along their margins. The number of green leaves on the ramet varies with ramet size. In Zimbabwe, leaf production continues throughout the year, but with two peaks - September-December (just after flowering) and March-June. Leaf longevity ranges from three to ten months. Height: 5-7 m, sometimes 15 m (according to Coates Palgrave, 1977, referring to the synonym H. benguellensis Welw.). Leaves: Fan-shaped, grey-green, 1.5-2 m long, petiole armed with spines. Fruits: Round or slightly oval, 4-5 cm, produced in large numbers taking 2 years to mature and 2 years to fall. Height: Up to 20 m (according to Moss and Taylor, 1983, referring to the synonym H. benguellensis var. ventricosa). Flowers: In drooping clusters. Fruits: Roughly spherical, brown, up to 8 cm (according to Moss and Taylor, 1983, referring to the synonym H. benguellensis var. ventricosa). Fruits: Small, more or less globose, 4.0 - 6.0 cm in diameter, ripening from green through orange to glossy dark brown. Height: The stem may reach more than 10 m. Height: Up to 18 m. (PROTA4U)
Single stemmed, with a slight swelling about halfway up the stem, or suckering and forming clumps. Lifeform: Where conditions are not favourable the tree grows as a small dry shrub with leaves at ground level. Most juvenile palms arise from suckers produced by the rhizome left behind when an adult palm is destroyed. Suckering may be stimulated by fire. Root suckers occasionally develop from the fusion of two or more roots of the parent palm. (PROTA4U)
Detailed Scientific Description |
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Habit: This species is generally a short tree reaching 7 m. Stems: Stems sometimes occur as a V-shape as a result of basal branching at ground level. Trunks also found aggregated at close proximity, arising from a suckering basal thicket. Many individuals develop a tapered ventricose swelling, typically 10 m above ground and 50 cm diameter at the widest part. Leaves: A mature trunk typically carries a crown of 20-25 active leaves with spirals of triangular clefted leaf bases in the upper part. These part to leave a clean trunk below, bearing regular leaf scars 2.5 cm apart. The petioles are 1.5 m long and 10 cm wide at the base tapering to 6 cm. They are rounded below and slightly concave above, particularly towards the base and bear the typical, regular, double array of dark viscous spines along the upper edges, angled towards the lamina. The petiole is waxy, with scattered black scales and numerous light brown hairs. The hastula, 5 mm high, is symmetrical or sometimes sloping with black spines and hairs. The leaf is strongly costapalmate with the costa curved and 75 cm long. The lamina is generally near-circular, folded about the costa and divided into 35-40 tapering segments to about one third to half the radius. The segments are somewhat narrow, about 5 mm wide at the base, and are further divided at the extremity to give a forked tip. The filaments between the segments are conspicuous. The lamina has a greyish bloom, dotted with small roundish scales. Inflorescences: The male inflorescence is pendulous and somewhat elongate, arching out from the leaf axil and 1-2 m long. The peduncle is short, around 7 cm diameter at the base. The rachis bracts carry as many as 12 partial inflorescences in the upper part, and the lower bracts are large and conspicuous, waxy and densely covered in scales and hairs. The primary branch is short, bearing as many as 13 linear or sometimes undulating rachillae, stiffly held in a semi-circle. The rachillae are large, 40 cm long by 1.2 cm in diameter and the bracts on the surface spirals are 7 mm wide and raised by 2 mm. The female inflorescence is similar but smaller than the male, 1-1.25 m long with ten partial inflorescences at the most. The primary branch bears fewer rachillae, rarely more than two. The rachillae are shorter and stubbier than the male. The reddish brown hairs of the floral pits are particularly conspicuous. Fruits: Variable in shape but always rounded, ovoid, or near globose, typically 5-7 cm high and 5-7 cm diameter in mid-section. The epicarp is very smooth and polished with only slight dimpling; reddish-brown in colour. When ripe, the epicarp parts easily from the aromatic, yellow-orange flesh of the fibrous mesocarp. Habit: Grows to 20 m tall with a smooth trunk crowned by a canopy of large, fan-shaped leaves with spiny petioles. Stands of single-stemmed palms are being replaced by palm scrub, the sucker shoots produced by felled palms. Fruits: Somewhat spherical, approaching pear-shaped. The endocarp is thick. Seeds: The seed is flat at the base, nearly round in horizontal section, about 2.9 cm long and 3.2 cm wide with the apex slightly peaked at the embryo. (PROTA4U) Hyphaene petersiana, Very similar to H. coriacea. Separated mainly on the shape of the fruit. H. coriacea has a pear-shaped fruit with a distinctly narrow base, whilst H. petersiana has a round or slightly ovoid fruit. Their distributions show little overlap in southern Africa. (PROTA4U) |
Culture
Several Hypheane species are growing in Palm Springs, Ca. ( Coriacea, Petersiana, Thebaica ). They all seem to be growing well, healthy, show no burning from the intense summer sun, love the summer heat, and generally grow well in this desert climate. Growing in native sand and "DG" soil, with excellent drainage, drought tolerant but seem to enjoy plenty of water in summer months.
Fire and the passing of the fruit throuth the digestive tract of animals facilitate the germination of seeds. Fire is a more important stimulus for germination than passing through the digestive system of an animal. The burning away of the exocarp and the simultaneous heat treatment appears to speed up germination. Difficult. Can be propagated from seed. Mean emergence time on 1% agar-water at 26 degrees C was 23 to 52 days. Soaking seeds in water reduced this by 21 to 56%. Seeds do not germinate easily, plants are slow growing and the massive taproot makes it almost impossible to transplant the trees once they are established. Namibia: 1.7 degrees C - 40.6 degrees C. (PROTA4U)
Comments and Curiosities
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Uses: Fences, other leaf parts: Petioles of large leaves are used as fencing droppers. Baskets, young leaves: Palm leaves for basketry should be cut through the petiole using a sharp knife, to avoid damaging the meristem and other leaves: 30% of annual leaf production is recommended for sustainable leaf harvesting. Baskets, leaves: In northern Namibia, baskets made from makalani palm fronds are used to carry dung to spread on the fields before the growing season, and to carry clay to use in pottery. Baskets, leaves: The Topnaar of Namibia divide the leaves into thin strips to use for weaving all kinds of baskets. Baskets, leaves: The leaves are used to make baskets. The species is one of the major species supporting the basket industry in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. Baskets, young leaves: More than 15,000 baskets are sold annually in Botswana. The growing tourist industry has greatly increased the palm tree's economic potential. Baskets, young leaves: Pliable young leaves are harvested before the folded leaf segments unfold. Only about one third of the young leaf is removed, a length of 40 - 100 cm, so that the same leaf can develop further and be harvested again. The leaf ends are prepared for weaving by boiling them in water for half an hour and then drying them in the sun. They may also be boiled in a natural dye. Some weavers remove the tough outer edges of the leaf segments before boiling, to ensure the material remains the natural creamy colour. In any case, only the inner part of the leaf segments are actually used for weaving. The outer edges may be used to form the central coil for coil-built baskets. A strip of palm leaf soaked in rain water is wrapped around the coil by weaving it through small holes made by an awl at regular intervals, along the previously wrapped coil row. The work continues in a spiral until the basket is the required size, when the last piece of coil is reduced in thickness gradually to merge with the last coil row. Bows (weapons) , other leaf parts: Strong bows are made from petioles by Kwanyama people in Namibia. Bows (weapons) , other products, other leaf parts: The leafstalks, which may be over a metre long, are carved into bows and stirring sticks by the Himba of Kaolkoland. Brooms, leaves: A special broom made from split leaflets is used by the Kwanyama, Namibia, to sweep the stamping place. Brooms, leaves: Leaves are tied together to serve as brooms. Fences, leaves: In northern Namibia, palm fronds are used for fencing where mopane trees are scarce and palms are common. Fences, walls, other leaf parts: Petioles of adult leaves are used for temporary fencing and hut walls. Fish traps, leaves: In northern Namibia, fish traps are made using omulunga fronds bound together with bark from Grewia species. Huts, other leaf parts: Petioles sometimes used by Kwanyama people, Namibia, as part of frames for huts. Necklaces, bracelets, clothing, leaf blades: The Kwanyama people, Namibia, used to use leaf blades to braid necklaces, bracelets and skirts during girls' puberty rites. Other products, other leaf parts: Large petioles used by Kwanyama people, Namibia, to make balance poles used to carry calabashes etc. Other products, other leaf parts: The Kwanyama people, Namibia, use the petioles to make stirring spoons for making porridge from millet, and some other cooked food. These are the only 'spoons' in their culture. Plates/bowls, young leaves: The Himba people of Kaokoland, Namibia use the fan shaped leaves to weave a variety of plates and bowls. These receptacles, of which every Himba family owns a number, are preferably made from the separated layers of young, unopened leaves. Receptacles used for holding liquids are smeared with fat to make them waterproof. Roofs, leaves: Leaves sometimes used as shade covers on huts for cooking, but this type of roof is not waterproof. Roofs, leaves: The Topnaar of Namibia use the leaves to cover roofs. Rope, matting, twine, baskets, leaves: The bantu in the more tropical parts of Africa use this species in making matting, basketware, rope and twine (Marloth 1913). Ropes, leaves: Rope can be made from the leaf fibres by soaking them in mud and twisting them. Sieves, leaves: A special strainer made from split leaflets is used by the Kwanyama people, Namibia, to strain out course particles in beer. Tooth cleaners, leaves: In Namibia, threads are stripped from the edges of leaves to use as dental floss. Fences, walls, stems: Petioles of adult leaves are used for temporary fencing and hut walls. Ropes, leaves: The Kwanyama Ovambos soak and twist the leaf fibres to make ropes. Leaves: In Zimbabwe, the leaves are used for craftwork. Baskets, clothing: The Kwanyama Ovambos have traditionally made baskets and skirts from the fibres. Basketry: Used in Botswana, the most important local and export-oriented craft. The danger of depleting resources has been investigated by the government. Baskets, ropes, mats, twine, young leaves: The fibres in the leaves are exceptionally long, strong and pliable, particularly well suited to the production of baskets, mats, rope and twine. The most favoured parts of leaf are the leaflets. There is a large trade in both these and the manufactured products. Other products, other leaf parts: In Zambia, local people use the petiole for stirring a large pot or drum when brewing beer. Baskets, woven materials, young leaves: The basket weaving industry has recently been developed to provide income for the growing population in rural villages in north-western Botswana. Baskets are constructed of fibre coils comprising narrow strips of palm leaf pinnae wrapped around an inner core of the same material. The coils are then sewn tightly together with tough, pliable strips of palm leaf. This material is prepared by cutting and drying young, unopened palm leaves, tearing them into strips, and soaking them in water. Designs are worked into the weave of the baskets by using dyed palm leaf strips. Baskets, young leaves: The unopened, pliable leaves of juvenile H. petersiana are the primary resource on which a thriving local basketry industry relies in Namibia, producing baskets for sale as well as household use. (PROTA4U) Fire: Fire has virtually no negative influence on mature palm trees as they do not have bark that can be damaged. The fact that they are more resistant to fire than other species possibly accounts for the numerous pure stands of palm trees in the Okavango Delta [5092]. Damage by fire is common. (PROTA4U) One of the most stunning of all Hyphaene, this species is found in savanna habitats in southeastern Africa to altitudes of 1300 m (4300 ft.). It has large, gray green, strongly costapalmate leaves with stiff segments that are held in a rounded crown atop a massive trunk that can reach 25 m (80 ft.) tall and is usually swollen in the middle. Typical for this species is the development of a single or twin trunk rather than the multi-branched trunk of most large Hyphaene. Mature plants carry large round seed. Like all Hyphaene, it is highly drought tolerant and very adaptable, and does best in a place in full sun in the tropics or subtropics. (RPS.com), edric. "The elephants were making a fierce racket banging these trees to knock down some fruit." (Mike Grimes) |
External Links
- Glossary of Palm Terms
- MODERN BOTANICAL LATIN
- "Just To Be Clear"
- http://www.prota4u.org/protav8.asp?p=Hyphaene+petersiana
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.