Raphia ruwenzorica

Raphia (rahf-EE-ah) ruwenzorica (roo-wehn-zhor-EE-kah)
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Scientific Classification
Genus: Raphia (rahf-EE-ah) Species: ruwenzorica (roo-wehn-zhor-EE-kah)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
Africa
Morphology
Habit: Solitary Leaf type: Pinnate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
Highland Raffia Palm

Habitat and Distribution

Grows in high altitude savannah, between 800 and 1500 m. This species is only

Photo by Paul Craft.

known from East Democratic Republic of Congo, around lakes Edward (Idi Amin Dada) and Kivu, and Burundi. Its presence in Rwanda has also been reported. (African Plant Database)

Description

Tall, solitary palm; stem erect, to 10 m tall; leaflets 140-150 on each side of rachis; fruits turbinate to ellipsoid, 10-13 cm long and 5-6 cm in diameter, covered with dark brown scales. (African Plant Database), Editing by edric.

Culture

Cold Hardiness Zone: 10b

Comments and Curiosities

A moderate sized species native to the highlands of eastern Africa in Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and neighboring areas of the Dem. Rep. of Congo, where it is found in moist valley bottoms between 800 and 1200 m, sharing a habitat with the famous mountain gorillas. It forms a solitary trunk to 10 m tall, mostly covered in the persistent leafbases. The leafbases produce copious amounts of long, brown fibers. The lightly plumose, ascending to arching leaves are shorter than in most Raphia, forming a denser, more spreading crown, and consist of up to 150 broad leaflets that are dark green above and an attractive waxy white grey below. The short petioles as well as the leaf midrib are a brilliant yellowish orange color and are the highlight of this palm. It has one of the largest fruits in the genus, up to 13 cm long, covered in attractive, snakeskin-like scales. The Highland Raffia Palm is apparently unknown in cultivation outside of Africa so far but will surely grow well in many warm temperate and all tropical climates. (RPS.com)