Raphia laurentii

De Wild.

Laurent raphia palm

Arecaceae Edible: Fruit, Trunk - starch

gbif· cc-by

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

gbif· cc-by

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

gbif· cc-by

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Description

A small palm. It grows 5-15 m tall. It has long black spines. The leaves have leaflets along the stalk. The flowers occur singly. The fruit is oval with large brown scales.

Edible Uses

The fruit is eaten, and starch is extracted from the trunk.

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. It grows along the edges of rivers. It grows in lowland swamp forests.

Where It Grows

Africa, Asia, Central Africa*, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo R, Indonesia, SE Asia,

Cultivation

Plants can be grown from seeds and by division of the clump.

Also Known As

Palem rafia lauren

References (2)

Nkeoua, G. & Boundzanga, G. C., 1999, Donnees sur les produits forestieres non ligneux en Republique du Congo. FAO. p 35
Sukarya, D. G., (Ed.) 2013, 3,500 Plant Species of the Botanic Gardens of Indonesia. LIPI p 813