Raphia farinifera
Tall and massive, clustering or rarely solitary palm; stem to 25 m long or more, with leaves up to 20 m long; leaflets to 150-180 on each side of rachis; inflorescences pendant, 3-4 m long; fruits variable in shape, ranging from ellipsoid-ovoid to squarely cylindrical, 7.5-10 cm long and 4-5.5 cm in diameter, covered by bright orangey-brown to reddish-brown scales.
There are some superficial similarities with R. australis, from which it can be differentiated by its clearly pendant compound inflorescence, a reproductive character that is shared with most species in the genus.
Reported to be widely distributed in West, East, Central and northerly regions of Southern Africa and also present in the North and East of Madagascar (Baker, 2008; Dransfield, 2010). This palm has been frequently reported to be cultivated. The populations of West Africa require to be studied in detail as they may represent another taxon.
This is a lowland riparian and swamp forest palm, also found in semi-cultivation conditions throughout its range of distribution. In East Africa reported to grow in gallery forest and fresh-water swamp-forest, from lowland to 2500 m (Dransfield, 1986).