Ravenea xerophila Jum.

 

Endemic to South Madagascar, between Ampanihy and the Ampingaratra Mts. 

Occurs in dry spiny Didiereaceae/Euphorbia bush or dry low forest, on laterite or gneiss. May grow in groups. Recorded at low elevations from 100 up to 700 m.

Description

Solitary medium-sized palm. TRUNK 1.5-8 m high, 13-30 cm in diam., widened at the very base; distal half of trunk (or in smaller trees the entire trunk) covered in densely packed sheath remnants; near crown about 10 cm in diam.; bark brown; internodes 2.5-8 cm; nodal scars 0.5-1 cm, occasionally with tattered sheath remnants appearing as threads; wood hard; trunk sometimes producing a yellow latex-like substance when slashed. LEAVES (11-) 18-22 per crown, glaucous, gracefully arching, with stiff segments, the old leaves marcescent; sheath 36-55 x 13-20 cm, white- to dark brown tomentose, the tomentum quickly deciduous, the distal part waxy-white; petiole 22-60 cm long, proximally 2.8-6 x 2.0-3.5 cm, distally 1.4-3.0 x 1.4-2 cm, slightly channelled adaxially, with rather sharp edges, proximally red-brown tomentose, distally glabrous and yellow or with whitish bloom when dry, abaxially strongly convex; rachis 1-2.1 m long, in mid-leaf 0.9-2 x 0.8-1.6 cm, pale green with white bloom; leaflets pale green, stiff, coriaceous, the leaflets on opposite sides of the rachis at an angle of less than 90° with each other, slightly glaucous, acuminate, 47-55 on each side of the rachis, regular, coriaceous, glaucous, the proximal ones 33-110 x 0.3-1.5 cm, median 43-64 (94) x 1.3-2.4 cm (interval 3.5-4 cm), distal 11-44 x 0.3-1.3 cm, secondary veins very visible, tertiary veins indistinct, ramenta red-brown or grey, elongate, 1-2 (-3)

 

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Ravenea xerophila - Palmpedia - Palm Grower's Guide