Raphia vinifera

West African piassava palm
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
(unranked): Commelinids
Order: Arecales
Family: Arecaceae
Genus: Raphia
Species: R. vinifera
Binomial name
Raphia vinifera
P.Beauv.
Synonyms[1]
  • Metroxylon viniferum (P.Beauv.) Spreng.
  • Raphia diasticha Burret
  • Raphia vinifera var. nigerica Otedoh
  • Sagus raphia Poir.
  • Sagus vinifera (P.Beauv.) Pers.
  • Sagus vinifera (P. Beauv.) Poir.

Raphia vinifera, the West African piassava palm,[2] bamboo palm or West African bass fibre[3] is a palm tree species in the genus Raphia. It is native to Benin, Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Ghana, and Democratic Republic of the Congo ( = Zaire = Congo-Kinshasa).[4][5] It is particularly abundant along the creeks of Niger Delta, Cross River, Lagos and Ikorodu in Nigeria.[6]

The nut contains bitter oil, which has the property of stupefying fish.[7][8][9]

References

  1. ↑ The Plant List
  2. ↑ "Raphia vinifera". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  3. ↑ Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information (Royal Gardens, Kew), 1891
  4. ↑ Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Raphia vinifera
  5. ↑ Ambroise Marie François Joseph Palisot de Beauvois. 1806. Flore d'Oware 1: 77–78, Raphia vinifera
  6. ↑ Trees of Nigeria. Keay, R.W.J., Clarendon Press Oxford. 444 p. (1989)
  7. ↑ The useful plants of West Africa (Tropical) Ed 2. Vol. 1., Burkill, H.M. (1985)
  8. ↑ Toxicity of Raphia vinifera, P. beauv fruit extracts on biochemical composition of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus, Trewavas). Oyebamiji O. Fafioye, S. O. Fagade and A. A. Adebisi, Biokemistri 17(2):137-142 (Dec 2005)
  9. ↑ Otedoh, M.O. 1982. Journal of the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research 6(22): 161, Raphia vinifera var. nigerica

External links

"Raphia vinifera". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. 

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