Ravenala madagascariensis
COMMON NAME | Traveller's tree or
traveller's palm |
TYPE | Tree |
FAMILY | Strelitziaceae |
NOTES | Traveller's palm, is
a large tree-like plant which will reach 30-50' tall at maturity. This plant
features an unbranched trunk (to 12" diameter) which is topped by a
fan-shaped single plane of enormous, long-stalked, banana-like, deep green
leaves. It has been given the name
"traveller's palm" because the sheaths of the stems hold rainwater,
which supposedly could be used as an emergency drinking supply for needy
travellers.[3] However, the water inside the plant is murky, black and smelly
and should not be consumed without purification. Another plausible reason for
its name is that the fan tends to grow on an east-west axis, providing a
crude compass. |
GEOGRAPHIC REGION | Madagascar |
NATIVE HABITAT | Rainforest.
Sheltered, warm and humid, and per-humid areas near the coast, from sea-level
up to elevations of 1500 ft. |
WEB SOURCES |
