| Raffia palm | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Arecales |
| Family: | Arecaceae |
| Subfamily: | Calamoideae |
| Tribe: | Lepidocaryeae |
| Genus: | Raphia P.Beauv. |
Raffia palms are members of the genusRaphia. TheMalagasy namerafia is derived fromfia "to squeezejuice".[2] Thegenus contains about twenty species ofpalms native to tropical regions of Africa, and especiallyMadagascar, with one species (R. taedigera) also occurring inCentral and South America.[1]R. taedigera is the source of raffia fibers, which are theveins of the leaves, and this species produces a fruit called "brazilia pods", "uxi nuts" or "uxi pods".[3]
They grow up to 16 metres (52 ft) tall and are remarkable for theircompound pinnateleaves, the longest in the plant kingdom; leaves ofR. regalis up to 25 metres (82 ft) long[4] and 3 metres (9.8 ft) wide are known. The plants aremonocarpic, meaning that they flower once and then die after the seeds are mature. Some species have individual stems which die after fruiting, but have a root system which remains alive and sends up new stems which fruit. The Raphia palms are remarkable in being one of just two genera of flowering plants having the very rarephyllotaxy of 1/4 (the other isLaccosperma).[5] Perhaps even more remarkable is the "King Raphia" (Raphia viniferavariety nigerica) which is the only known palm with pairs of opposite fronds.[6]
Raffia fiber is produced from theepidermalmembrane on the underside of the leaf fronds. The membrane is taken off to create a long thin fiber, which can be rolled together for added strength before they are finally dried. Fibres can be made intotwine,rope, garden ties, and used in tree grafting.[2][7] Fibres are important in the area of textiles, as they can be dyed and woven into products such as decorativemats,baskets,placemats, hats, and shoes.
The sap of the palm can befermented into raffia wine.[2] It is traditionally collected by cutting a box in the top of the palm and suspending a large gourd below to collect the milky white liquid. Unlike withoil palms, this process kills the tree. Sap from both the raffia and oil palms can be allowed to ferment over a few days. When first collected from the tree, it is sweet and appears slightly carbonated. As it ages more sugar is converted. Raffia wine tends to be sweeter at any age when compared to oilpalm wine. Both kinds of palm wine can also be distilled into strong liquors, such asOgogoro. Traditionally in some cultures where raffia or oil palm are locally available, guests and spirits are offered these drinks from the palm trees.[citation needed]
In local construction, raffia fibres are used for ropes, with branches and leaves providing sticks and supporting beams, and various roof coverings.[2] The people of Ogba kingdom in Rivers State and other southern Nigerians use raffia palm fronds as fishing poles. The frond is usually cut from a young palm tree. The leaves are removed and the stake is dried, which becomes very light, and the hook is attached to a line, which is tied to the stake, making it a fishing pole.[citation needed]
The raffia palm is important in societies such as that of the Province ofBohol in the Philippines,Kuba ofDemocratic Republic of the Congo,Nso ofCameroon, theIgbo andIbibio/Annang/Bahumono ofSoutheastern Nigeria, theTiv ofNorthcentral Nigeria andSouthwestern Cameroons, the Urhobo andIjaw people of the Niger deltaNigeria and theYoruba people of southwestern Nigeria, among several other West Africanethnic nations.[citation needed]
 | A strand of raffia has a maximum length of about 1.5 m and an irregular width. When found onspools orhanks of greater lengths, it is likely synthetic raffia, produced frompolypropylene. First produced byCovema in collaboration withSulzer, a manufacturer of flat weaving looms for natural fibers, who adapted their looms to process synthetic raffia. These fabrics are used to make carpet backing, protective sheets, and bags for rice, potatoes, and citrus fruit. Covema also developed a method to cover raffia fabric with a thin film ofpolyethylene in order to make it waterproof.[8] |
| Image | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
| Raphia africanaOtedoh | Nigeria, Cameroon | |
 | Raphia australisOberm. & Strey | Mozambique, South Africa |
.jpg) | Raphia farinifera(Gaertn.) Hyl. | Africa from Senegal to Tanzania, south to Mozambique and Zimbabwe |
| Raphia gentilianaDe Wild. | Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic | |
| Raphia hookeriG.Mann & H.Wendl. | western and central Africa from Liberia to Angola | |
| Raphia laurentiiDe Wild. | Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic | |
| Raphia longifloraG.Mann & H.Wendl. | from Nigeria to Democratic Republic of Congo | |
| Raphia mambillensisOtedoh | Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Sudan | |
| Raphia manniiBecc. | Nigeria, Bioko | |
| Raphia matombeDe Wild. | Cabinda, Democratic Republic of Congo | |
| Raphia monbuttorumDrude | Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, South Sudan | |
| Raphia palma-pinus(Gaertn.) Hutch. | western Africa from Liberia to Cabinda | |
| Raphia regalisBecc. | central Africa from Nigeria to Angola | |
| Raphia rostrataBurret | Cabinda, Democratic Republic of Congo | |
| Raphia ruwenzoricaOtedoh | eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi | |
| Raphia seseDe Wild. | Democratic Republic of Congo | |
.jpg) | Raphia sudanicaA. Chev. | western Africa from Senegal to Cameroon |
 | Raphia taedigera(Mart.) Mart. | Nigeria, Cameroon, Central America (Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama), South America (Colombia, Pará State of Brazil) |
| Raphia textilisWelw. | Cabinda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Angola | |
| Raphia viniferaP. Beauv. | western Africa from Democratic Republic of Congo to Benin |
Media related toRaphia at Wikimedia Commons| Animal products | |
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| Edible plants / roots | |
| Mushrooms | |
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| Resins | |
| Sap / gum / etc. | |
| Other | |
| Related | |
