559.000 Raphia P. Beauv. - Raffia palms

Mbandu Luzolawo, P., Lubini Ayingweu, C, Mogue Kamga, S. & Stauffer, F.W. (2020) Palmae Flore d'Afrique Centrale Nouvelle Serie Jardin Botanique Meise, Belgique

Description of the genus

Monoecious trees, the base often bearing aerial roots (see image 3). Leaves pinnate, enormous, the largest in the plant kingdom; leaflets numerous, arranged in 1-several planes. Inflorescences up to 3 m, large, branched. Male flowers: calyx tubular, 3-lobed; corolla with 3 lobes; stamens 6-many. Female flowers: calyx and corolla similar to male; staminodes present; stigmas 3. Fruit bearing glossy brown scales.

Worldwide: About 20 species, all but two confined to tropical Africa.

Zimbabwe: 1 cultivated taxon.

No image of a cultivated species but there is an image of a native or naturalised species

Links to cultivated taxa    View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this genus

SpeciesContent
australis Oberm. & Strey

Other sources of information about Raphia:

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Raphia
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Raphia
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Raphia
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Raphia
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Raphia
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Raphia
JSTOR Plant Science: Raphia
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Raphia
Plants of the World Online: Raphia
Tropicos: Raphia
Wikipedia: Raphia

Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2002-26

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2026). Flora of Zimbabwe: Cultivated plants: Genus page: Raphia.
https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/cult/genus.php?genus_id=297, retrieved 18 June 2026

Site software last modified: 9 April 2026 6:47pm (GMT +2)
Terms of use