Ravenala madagascariensis

Botanical Description

Ravenala madagascariensis is an evergreen tree with an open, fan-like crown; it usually grows up to 20 metres tall., though specimens up to 30 metres have been reported. The cylindrical stem can be solitary, or branched at the base. The plant produces large, banana-like leaves that can each be 2.5 - 4 metres long and 80 - 150cm wide on top of a stout petiole that is 3 - 6 metres long. These are held in a fan-shaped formation of 20 or more leaves[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. , 309 Title Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida Publication Author Website http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/shrubs/ Publisher University of Florida Year 0 ISBN Description PDF fact sheets on over 500 shrubs. ]. The plant produces an edible seed that is sometimes gathered from the wild for local use. It gains its common name from the fact that copious amounts of rainwater and liquid plant secretions can collect in the leaf bases and leaf bracts of the plant - these have been used as refreshment by thirsty travellers[ 302 Title Tropical Ornamentals; A Guide Publication Author Whistler. W. Arthur. Publisher Timber Press Inc. Oregon. Year 2000 ISBN 0-88192-448-2 Description An excellent little guide to some of the more commonly cultivated ornamental plants of the Tropics, often giving some information on the plants other uses. ]. The tree is widely cultivated as an ornamental in the tropics and subtropics[ 46 Title Dictionary of Economic Plants. Publication Author Uphof. J. C. Th. Publisher Weinheim Year 1959 ISBN - Description An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader. , 302 Title Tropical Ornamentals; A Guide Publication Author Whistler. W. Arthur. Publisher Timber Press Inc. Oregon. Year 2000 ISBN 0-88192-448-2 Description An excellent little guide to some of the more commonly cultivated ornamental plants of the Tropics, often giving some information on the plants other uses. ].