Raphia
(from raphis, a needle; alluding to the beaked fruit). SYN. Metroxylon (of Sprengel). ORD. Palmae. A genus comprising six or seven species of stove palms, unarmed or with armed sheaths; one is a native of America, from the mouth of the Amazon to Nicaragua, and the rest are found in tropical Africa and Madagascar. Flowers elongated, often decurved, long-exserted, on pectinate, compressed branchlets; common spathe none; partial ones numerous; spadices large, pendulous, cylindrical, densely much-branched, the branches imbricated, flabelliform, pectinate; bracts ladleshaped, compressed, closely imbricated. Fruit large, oblong, ovoid, or ellipsoid, rostrate, one-valved, oneseeded, with ample scales, the spikes sometimes weighing from 200lb. to 300lb. Leaves terminal, long, sub-erect, equally pinnatisect; segments linear-lanceolate, acuminate, thickly coriaceous, recurved, bristly or slightly aculeate at base and on the margins; petioles cylindrical, or convex at back and flattened above; sheaths short, with long-fibrous margins. Trunk mediocre or tall, simple or dichotomously divided, densely annulate. Several of the species are grown in this country. For culture, see Cocos. R. Ruffia. Raffia or Roffia Palm. fr. obovate or pyriform, mucronate, twelve (rarely thirteen to fifteen) sulcate; scales shining, deeply sulcate. l. 50ft. to 60ft. long. Caudex tall. Mascarene Islands.
R. taedigera (torch-bearing). Raffia or Roffia Palm. fl. greenish-olive, densely clustered; spadices very large, compoundly branched, and drooping. fr. 2 1/2in. long, oblong, reticulated with large scales. l. 50ft. or more long, rising nearly vertically from the stem, and bending out on every side in graceful curves, forming a magnificent plume 70ft. high and 40ft. in diameter; leaflets spread out 4ft. on each side of the midrib, rather irregularly scattered, and not very closely set, drooping at the tips, and having weak spinules along the margins. Trunk generally 6ft. to 8ft. high, and about 1ft. in diameter, clothed for some distance down with the sheathing bases of the leafstalks. Amazon, 1847.
R. vinifera (wine-producing). Bamboo or Wine Palm. fr. linear-oblong, slightly acute, nine-sulcate; scales pale chestnut, slightly convex. l. 6ft. to 7ft. long; leaflets beset with spines. Sierra Leone. A middle-sized tree.