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Raphia palma-pinus - (Gaertn.) Hutch.

Common Name Thatch palm
Family Arecaceae
USDA hardiness 10-12
Known Hazards None known
Habitats Wet swamps, either fresh or slightly brackish, near the coast. Often behind mangrove swamps[970 ]. Lowland swamp and riparian palm, often associated with shady conditions and extremely high rain fall[328 ].
Range West tropical Africa - Senegal to Gambia, Cameroon, Congo, northern Angola.
Edibility Rating    (0 of 5)
Other Uses    (4 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (2 of 5)
Care (info)
Tender Moist Soil Wet Soil Semi-shade Full sun
Raphia palma-pinus Thatch palm


liberianfaunaflora.org
Raphia palma-pinus Thatch palm
liberianfaunaflora.org

 

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Summary

Raphia palma-pinus or Thatch palm is a tropical palm about 2-3m tall that develops suckers and forms clump. The fronds are yellowish-green and not shiny. Edible parts are the fruit, seeds, sap, and palm heart. It is known for other names such as Apel, Batata, Befen, Dahare, Dara, Darre, Mambampa-tara, Tara, and Tarra.


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of cone
Raphia palma-pinus is an evergreen Tree growing to 10 m (32ft) by 6 m (19ft) at a fast rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils and can grow in very acid and saline soils.
It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist or wet soil.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Sagus palma-pinus Gaertn. Raphia gaertneri G.Mann & H.Wendl. Raphia gracilis Becc.

Plant Habitats

Edible Uses

None known

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.


The frond and petiole are used as a medicine to treat blood disorders[338 ].

References   More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

Fibre  Furniture  Thatching

Other Uses: The plant is a commercial source of piassava, the base of the petiole for a length of 100cm being retted and split to form hard fibres[970 ]. The mid-ribs of the leaves are used to make poles and are made into household furnishings such as chairs and beds[970 ]. The fronds are used extensively as thatch[970 ].

Special Uses

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

A monocarpic plant - growing for several years without flowering, then producing a massive inflorescence and dying after setting seed[200 ].

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

Type a value in the Celsius field to convert the value to Fahrenheit:

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Plants For A Future have a number of books available in paperback and digital form. Book titles include Edible Plants, Edible Perennials, Edible Trees,Edible Shrubs, Woodland Gardening, and Temperate Food Forest Plants. Our new book is Food Forest Plants For Hotter Conditions (Tropical and Sub-Tropical).

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Plant Propagation

Seed -

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Apel, Batata, Befen, Dahare, Dara, Darre, Mambampa-tara, Tara, Tarra,

Native Range

Coming Soon

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status : Status: Data Deficient

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Raphia fariniferaRaffia PalmTree25.0 9-12 FLMHNMWe304
Raphia hookeriIvory Coast Raffia PalmTree10.0 10-12 FLMHNMWe324
Raphia viniferaWine Raffia Palm. Wine PalmTree6.0 10-12 MLMHNM303

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

Expert comment

Author

(Gaertn.) Hutch.

Botanical References

Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here
A special thanks to Ken Fern for some of the information used on this page.

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