Home | > | List of families | > | Arecaceae | > | Raphia | > | farinifera |
Synonyms: |
Raphia ruffia (Jacq.) Mart. |
Common names: | Cibale (Bemba) Fibale (Bemba) Mulili (Lunda) |
Frequency: | Widespread |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Large, stemless or short-stemmed palm tree. Leaves huge, up to 18 m, pinnate. Flowers unisexual in huge, branched inflorescences. Fruit oblong, with overlapping "polished', golden-brown scales. |
Type location: |
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Notes: | A tree grown from seed in Lusaka began flowering in its 19th year. Maturation of the nuts followed 4 years later and continued for another 3 years. Eventually the last of the leaves died, and a new sucker sprouted from the base of the dead stem. Conservation status:Widespread but under threat from destructive exploitation and loss of habitat. |
Derivation of specific name: | |
Habitat: | Peat dambos and on banks of perennial streams. |
Altitude range: | 400 - 1400 m |
Flowering time: | |
Worldwide distribution: | Angola, D.R. Congo, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe; throughout southern tropical Africa, Madagascar. |
Zambian distribution (Flora Zambesiaca): | B,N,W,C,E,S |
Zambian distribution (Provinces): | Nw,Cb,Lp,N,Mc,E,C,Lk,S,W |
Growth form(s): | Tree. |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | Zophopetes dysmephyla (Larval foodplant) |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Content last updated: | Thursday 4 August 2016 |
Literature: |
Bingham, M.G. (2007). The Raffia Palm. Black Lechwe 15(2) Pages 16 - 17. (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 289. (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 50. (Includes a picture). Coates Palgrave, K. (revised and updated by Meg Coates Palgrave) (2002). Trees of Southern Africa 3rd edition. Struik, South Africa Page 101. Dowsett-Lemaire, F. (1989). The flora and phytogeography of the evergreen forests of Malawi. I: Afromontane and mid-altitude forests; Bull. Jard. Bot. Nat. Belg. 59(1/2) Page 19. Dransfield, J. (2010). Arecaceae Flora Zambesiaca 13(2) Pages 43 - 45. (Includes a picture). Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 232. Fowler, D.G. (2007). Zambian Plants: Their Vernacular Names and Uses, Kew Publishing Golding, J.S. (ed.) (2002). Zimbabwe Plant Red Data List. Southern African Plant Red Data Lists. SABONET 14 Page 162. Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 85. Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 46. White, F. (1962). Forest Flora of Northern Rhodesia Oxford Univ. Press. Page 12. As Raphia sp White, F., Dowsett-Lemaire, F. & Chapman, J.D. (2001). Evergreen forest flora of Malawi Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Pages 107 - 108. Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 81. |
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