Raffia palm












































Raffia palm

Raphia australis.jpg

Scientific classification e
Kingdom:
Plantae

Clade:
Angiosperms

Clade:
Monocots

Clade:
Commelinids
Order:
Arecales
Family:
Arecaceae
Subfamily:
Calamoideae
Tribe:
Calameae
Genus:
Raphia
P.Beauv.

Raffia palms (Raphia) are a genus of about twenty species of palms native to tropical regions of Africa, and especially Madagascar, with one species (R. taedigera) also occurring in Central and South America.[1]R. taedigera is the source of raffia fibers, which are the veins of the leaves, and this species produces a fruit called "brazilia pods", "uxi nuts" or "uxi pods".[2]


They grow up to 16 m (52.5 ft) tall and are remarkable for their compound pinnate leaves, the longest in the plant kingdom; leaves of R. regalis up to 25 m (82.38 ft) long[3] and 3 m (9.84 ft) wide are known. The plants are monocarpic, 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.




Contents






  • 1 Species


  • 2 Cultivation and uses


    • 2.1 Fiber


    • 2.2 Raffia wine




  • 3 References


  • 4 External links





Species




Fruits – Museum of Toulouse




  1. Raphia africana Otedoh – Nigeria, Cameroon


  2. Raphia australis Oberm. & Strey – Mozambique, South Africa


  3. Raphia farinifera (Gaertn.) Hyl. – Africa from Senegal to Tanzania, south to Mozambique and Zimbabwe


  4. Raphia gentiliana De Wild. – Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic


  5. Raphia hookeri G.Mann & H.Wendl. – western and central Africa from Liberia to Angola


  6. Raphia laurentii De Wild. – Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic


  7. Raphia longiflora G.Mann & H.Wendl. – from Nigeria to Democratic Republic of Congo


  8. Raphia mambillensis Otedoh – Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Sudan


  9. Raphia mannii Becc. – Nigeria, Bioko


  10. Raphia matombe De Wild. – Cabinda, Democratic Republic of Congo


  11. Raphia monbuttorum Drude – Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, South Sudan


  12. Raphia palma-pinus (Gaertn.) Hutch. – western Africa from Liberia to Cabinda


  13. Raphia regalis Becc. – central Africa from Nigeria to Angola


  14. Raphia rostrata Burret – Cabinda, Democratic Republic of Congo


  15. Raphia ruwenzorica Otedoh – eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi


  16. Raphia sese De Wild. – Democratic Republic of Congo


  17. Raphia sudanica A. Chev. – western Africa from Senegal to Cameroon


  18. Raphia taedigera (Mart.) Mart. – Nigeria, Cameroon, Central America (Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama), South America (Colombia, Pará State of Brazil)


  19. Raphia textilis Welw. – Cabinda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Angola


  20. Raphia vinifera P. Beauv. – western Africa from Democratic Republic of Congo to Benin



Cultivation and uses



Fiber




Raffia is often used to graft trees


Raffia fibre is widely used throughout the world. It is used in twine, rope, baskets, placemats, hats, shoes, and textile.


The fiber is produced from the membrane on the underside of each individual frond leaf. The membrane is taken off to create a long thin fiber which can be dyed and woven as a textile into products ranging from hats to shoes to decorative mats.


Plain raffia fibers are exported and used as garden ties or as a "natural" string in many countries. Especially when one wishes to graft trees, raffia is used to hold plant parts together as a more "natural" rope.[citation needed]


Raffia fibers have many uses, especially in the area of textiles and in construction. In their local environments, they are used for ropes, sticks and supporting beams, and various roof coverings are made out of its fibrous branches and leaves.
A strand of raffia has a maximum length of about 1.5 m and an irregular width. When presented on spool or hank with a length of more than one meter and a half and regular width is not really raffia, it can be synthetic raffia, produced from a plastic material (polypropylene), or artificial, just like viscose (derived from wood, therefore basic cellulose cellulosic even if chemically treated). The first company in the world to design and build plants for the production of polypropylene raffia was the Covema of Milan founded by the brothers Dino and Marco Terragni. Covema collaborated with the Swiss company Sulzer, manufacturer of flat weaving looms for natural fibers, to adapt their looms to process polypropylene raffia woven products. Polypropylene raffia fabrics are still used to make carpet backing, protective sheets, rice bags, potatoes, citrus fruit, etc. Covema also developed coating lines to cover the raffia fabric with a thin film of polyethylene in order to make the fabric waterproof.[4]



Raffia wine


Raffia palm also provides an important cultural drink. The sap contains sugars. It is traditionally collected by cutting a box in the top of the palm and suspending a large gourd to collect the milky white liquid. Unlike oil 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. The sap is usually called wine. The raffia wine tends to be sweeter at any age when compared to oil palm wine. Both kinds of palm wine can also be distilled into strong liquors, such as Ogogoro. Traditionally in some cultures where raffia and/or oil palm are locally available, guests and spirits are offered these drinks from the palm trees.


The raffia palm is important in societies such as that of the Province of Bohol in the Philippines, Kuba of Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nso of Cameroon, the Igbo and Ibibio/Annang of Southeastern Nigeria, the Tiv of Northcentral Nigeria and Southwestern Cameroons, the Urhobo and Ijaw people of Niger delta Nigeria and the Yoruba of southwestern Nigeria, among several other West African ethnic nations.






  • Removing the fibrous inner layer of the palm frond leaves as a first step in making raffia rope in Bandundu Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo.







  • Palm frond fibers are rolled together for added strength before they are finally dried.







  • Raffia is woven to make the traditional Munganji dancer suit used in Bapende ceremonies in the Gungu region of Bandundu Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo






References





  1. ^ ab Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families


  2. ^ Tucker, A.; Redford, A.; Scher, J.; Trice, M. (2010). "Raphia taedigera". Dried Botanical ID. Fort Collins, CO: Delaware State University, Identification Technology Program, CPHST, PPQ, APHIS, USDA. Retrieved 7 October 2016..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}


  3. ^ Hallé, F. 1977. The longest leaf in palms? Principes 21: 18.


  4. ^ https://www.polimerica.it/blog-articolo.asp?id=17




External links



  • Kew palms checklist: Raphia

  • Sorting Raphia names

  • PACSOA: Raphia

  • South Africa plants: Raphia australis

  • Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden: Raphia


  • Raphia articles

  • Palm Pedia

  • [1]











Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Information security

Image
This article is part of a series on Information security Related security categories Internet security Cyberwarfare Computer security Mobile security Network security Threats Computer crime Vulnerability Eavesdropping Malware Spyware Ransomware Trojans Viruses Worms Rootkits Bootkits Keyloggers Screen scrapers Exploits Backdoors Logic bombs Payloads Denial of service Defenses Computer access control Application security Antivirus software Secure coding Secure by default Secure by design Secure operating systems Authentication Multi-factor authentication Authorization Data-centric security Encryption Firewall Intrusion detection system Mobile secure gateway Runtime application self-protection (RASP) v t e Information security , sometimes shortened to InfoSec , is the practice of preventing unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, inspection, recording or destruction of information. Th
Read more

Lambak Kiri

Image
For Lambak Kiri public housing area, see Lambak Kiri Landless Indigenous Citizens' Housing Scheme. Village in Brunei-Muara, Brunei Lambak Kiri Village Location in Brunei Coordinates: 4°59′26″N 114°57′04″E  /  4.990472°N 114.951114°E  / 4.990472; 114.951114 Coordinates: 4°59′26″N 114°57′04″E  /  4.990472°N 114.951114°E  / 4.990472; 114.951114 Country Brunei District Brunei-Muara Mukim Berakas A Government  • Village head Hamdani Omar Postcode BB1214 Lambak Kiri is a populated place in Brunei-Muara District, Brunei. It is officially a village subdivision under Berakas A, a mukim in the district. Lambak Kiri may also refer to the greater area which includes the Lambak Kiri public housing area of the Landless Indigenous Citizens' Housing Scheme (Malay: Skim Tanah Kurnia Rakyat Jati ), although the latter is a separate subdivision. Contents 1 Name 2 Administration 3 See also 4 References Name
Read more

Farm Security Administration

Image
Farm Security Administration Farm Security Administration logo Agency overview Formed September 1, 1937  ( 1937-09-01 ) Preceding agencies Resettlement Administration Federal Emergency Relief Administration Dissolved 1946 Superseding agency Farmers Home Administration Key documents Farm Security Act Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act The Farm Security Administration ( FSA ) was a New Deal agency created in 1937 to combat rural poverty during the Great Depression in the United States. It succeeded the Resettlement Administration (1935–1937). [1] The FSA stressed "rural rehabilitation" efforts to improve the lifestyle of sharecroppers, tenants, very poor landowning farmers, and a program to purchase submarginal land owned by poor farmers and resettle them in group farms on land more suitable for efficient farming. Critics, including the Farm Bureau, strongly opposed the FSA as an experiment in collectivizing agriculture—that is, in bringing
Read more