Raphia hookeri
Tall, solitary or rarely clustered palm; stem 15 m long or more, with leaves to 10-15 m long; leaflets to 160-180 on each side of rachis; inflorescences pendant, up to 3.5 m long; fruits variable in shape, ranging from ellipsoid to nearly cylindrical and turbinate, 5-12 cm long and 4-6 cm in diameter, covered by yellow-brown scales.
This species is widely distributed from Senegal to the Congo Basin (Otedoh, 1982; Tuley, 1995; Lisowski, 2009); its presence in Angola was reported by Baker (2008). Its current and extremely expanded distribution may be largely due to the fact that this is a highly appreciated palm (e.g. wine extraction) frequently subject to cultivation or semi-cultivation.
Wild populations are to be found near coastal swamp-riparian vegetation, under saline and deltaic conditions