Borassus aethiopum

Borassus aethiopum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
(unranked): Commelinids
Order: Arecales
Family: Arecaceae
Genus: Borassus
Species: B. aethiopum
Binomial name
Borassus aethiopum
Mart.
Synonyms[1]
  • Borassus aethiopum var. bagamojense Becc.
  • Borassus aethiopum var. senegalense Becc.
  • Borassus deleb Becc.
  • Borassus flabellifer L. var. aethiopum (Mart.) Warb.
  • Borassus sambiranensis Jum. & H. Perrier

Borassus aethiopum is a species of Borassus palm from Africa. In English it is variously referred to as African fan palm, African palmyra palm, deleb palm, ron palm, toddy palm, black rhun palm, ronier palm (from the French). It is widespread across much of tropical Africa from Senegal to Ethiopia and south to northern South Africa, though it is largely absent from the forested areas of Central Africa and desert regions such as the Sahara and Namib. This palm also grows in northwest Madagascar and the Comoros.[2][3]

Description

Borassus aethiopum is a solitary palm to 25 metres (82 ft) in height and 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) in diameter at the base. The fan-shaped leaves are 3 metres (9.8 ft) wide with petioles 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) long; the margins are armed with spines. In male plants, the small flowers are largely concealed within the scaly catkins; the much larger female flowers reach 2 centimetres (0.79 in) wide and produce yellow to brown fruits. Each fruit contains 1-3 seeds, each enclosed within a woody endocarp.[4]

Uses

The tree has many uses: the fruit are edible, as are the tender roots produced by the young plant;[5] fibres can be obtained from the leaves; and the wood (which is reputed to be termite-proof) can be used in construction.[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ The Plant List, Borassus aethiopum Mart.
  2. ↑ Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Borassus aethiopum
  3. ↑ AFPD. 2008. African Flowering Plants Database - Base de Donnees des Plantes a Fleurs D'Afrique.
  4. ↑ Bayton, Ross P. (2007). "A revision of Borassus L. (Arecaceae)". Kew Bulletin 62: 561–586.
  5. ↑  "Deleb palm". Collier's New Encyclopedia. 1921.
  6. ↑ Bailey, L.H. & E.Z. Bailey. 1976. Hortus Third i–xiv, 1–1290. MacMillan, New York.

External links

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