Raffia Palm
Raphia farinifera

Family: Arecaceae

What it is like

Raphia farinifera or commonly known as Raffia Palm is a tropical palm tree endemic to Africa that grows up to 10 m tall and 60 cm in trunk diameter. It is a monocarpic species, which means that its individual stems only flower once then die. Flowering occurs when the tree is about 20-25 years old and it takes another 5 years from flowering to ripe fruit. The fruits are oblong to ovoid and covered with glossy golden brown scales. It can be eaten once boiled. The fruit also sources edible oil and edible seeds. Sap obtained from the trunk can be made into palm wine and sweet beverages. The stem, on the other hand, yield an edible starch. A commercially important and strong fiber known as raffia can be obtained from the leaves of this tree. It is used in weaving, thatching, hut construction, etc. Piassava, fibre obtained from the leaf sheaths, is used for making brooms and ropes. Lower surface of the leaves yield wax which can be used as a polish for boats and floors, and in candle production. Oil extract from fruit pulp and kernels is used in soap making. The wood is used for construction.

Raphia farinifera is an evergreen Tree growing to 25 m (82ft) by 18 m (59ft) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist or wet soil.

Height (m): 25

Where it is found

Moist, swampy ground. Riverine and groundwater forest. Gallery forests, freshwater swamp forest, along river banks and in the western shoreline forests of Lake Victoria, at elevations from sea level to 2,500 metres.

Tropical Africa - Senegal to Cameroon; Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Madagascar.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed

Countries/locations it is found in

Angola; Benin; Burkina Faso; Cameroon; Congo; Côte d'Ivoire; Gambia; Ghana; Guinea; Kenya; Madagascar; Malawi; Mozambique; Nigeria; Senegal; Sierra Leone; Tanzania, United Republic of; Togo; Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe, Africa, Australia, Cameroon, Central Africa, Congo, East Africa, Fiji, India, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pacific, Southern Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

How it is used

Food

Rating: 3

The sap from the trunk is fermented to make palm wine. It is also used to make a sweet beverage. The sap can be obtained either by cutting down the trunk and allowing the sap to drain out, or by boring a hole in the trunk near the apex. An edible starch is obtained from the stem. Fruit - boiled and eaten. An oil is obtained from the fruit. The boiled fruit pulp yields a yellow fat known as raphia butter - it has a good taste when fresh. The fruits are crushed, water is added and the mixture boiled then left to cool. The floating oil is then skimmed off and used in cooking.. The seed is edible.

Oil: Oil

Sap: usually of trees and usually but not always used as a drink.

Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.

Stem: this often intergrades into leaves.

Drink: not including plant saps, tea or coffee substitutes.

Sweetener: includes sugar substitutes.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating: 4

Raffia, which is widely used in weaving to make baskets, mats etc, is obtained from the leaflets of this plant. The large midribs of the leaves, and the leaf stalks, are widely used by native people to construct the framework of houses, as poles for various uses and for making into furniture. They can be split into strips for weaving into mats, baskets etc. The leaves are used for thatching and weaving baskets, mats and hats. The fibres obtained from the leaves are used as tying material and for weaving mats, hoods, bags, curtains etc. The tough fibre (known as piassava) obtained from the leaf sheaths, is used for making brooms. A tough rope can also be made from this fibre. The fibre is derived from the cuticle of the leaves, which are harvested before fully expanded and peeled upon both sides. The thin strips of fibrous material thus obtained are afterwards divided into narrower strips by a kind of comb, according to the purpose for which they are to be used. It appears as flat, straw-coloured strips, about 12 - 18mm wide and from 90 - 120cm long. It is capable of being divided into fine threads. It can be used for delicately plaited goods, hats, mats for covering lloors, and for wrapping up goods. The loose strips are extensively used in place of Russian bast or tie bands by gardeners and nurserymen. More recently it has been woven into superior matting, tastefully coloured, and used instead of tapestry for covering walls in London houses. The preparation of raffia is one of the most extensive industries in Madagascar. The men cut the palm leaves in the forests and bring them home for the women to complete the work. The fibre is cured the same day it is stripped Among its native uses may be mentioned cordage and fishing nets. Raphia wax, which is derived from the lower surface of the leaves, is used as a polish for boats and floors or is utilized for the production of candles. The oil extracted from the boiled fruit pulp and the kernels of the fruits is used for the production of soap and stearin. The shells of the fruits are made into snuffboxes or buttons. Wood - used for construction. The wood can be used after the sap has been allowed to drain.

Basketry: Plant used in making baskets and other items such as chairs. Includes plants that are only used as an ornamental addition.

Broom: Used for sweeping the floor etc.

Buttons: Plants that can be used as buttons. Not including making buttons from wood.

Containers: Plants, such as gourds, that can be used as containers. Does not include baskets or containers made from wood.

Fibre: Used for making cloth, rope, paper etc.

Furniture: A few miscellaneous uses that do not fit easily into other headings.

Lighting: Plants that can be used as torches etc. See also Oil and Wax.

Oil: Vegetable oils have many uses, as lubricants, lighting, soap and paint making, waterproofing etc. This does not include the edible oils unless they are also mentioned as having other uses.

Raffia: A substitute for that material.

Soap making: Plants used as an ingredient in making soaps. Does not include the essential oils, dyes and oils that are also used in making soap.

String: Plants that can be used for string or can be easily made into a string. See also Fibre. Plants for ropes may be included.

Thatching: Used for making thatched roofs.

Weaving: Items such as grass and palm leaves that are woven together for making mats, baskets etc. See also Basket making and Fibre.

Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.

Industrial Crop: Fiber: Clothing, rugs, sheets, blankets etc. Currently, almost none of our fiber are produced from perennial crops but could be!

Industrial Crop: Wax: Water resistant, malleable substances. Currently, most commercial wax is made from paraffin - a fossil fuel.

Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.

Regional Crop: These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally, Examples in this broad category include perennial cottons and many nuts and staple fruits.

Staple Crop: Oil: (0-15 percent protein, 16+ percent oil). Some of these are consumed whole while others are exclusively pressed for oil. Annuals include canola, poppyseed, maize, cottonseed, sunflower, peanut. Perennials include high-oil fruits, seeds, and nuts, such as olive, coconut, avocado, oil palm, shea, pecan, and macadamia. Some perennial oil crops are consumed whole as fruits and nuts, while others are exclusively pressed for oil (and some are used fresh and for oil).

Staple Crop: Sugar: Perennial sugar crops include sugarcane and compare favorably to annuals.

Industrial Crop: Fiber: Clothing, rugs, sheets, blankets etc. Currently, almost none of our fiber are produced from perennial crops but could be!

Industrial Crop: Wax: Water resistant, malleable substances. Currently, most commercial wax is made from paraffin - a fossil fuel.

Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.

Regional Crop: These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally, Examples in this broad category include perennial cottons and many nuts and staple fruits.

Staple Crop: Oil: (0-15 percent protein, 16+ percent oil). Some of these are consumed whole while others are exclusively pressed for oil. Annuals include canola, poppyseed, maize, cottonseed, sunflower, peanut. Perennials include high-oil fruits, seeds, and nuts, such as olive, coconut, avocado, oil palm, shea, pecan, and macadamia. Some perennial oil crops are consumed whole as fruits and nuts, while others are exclusively pressed for oil (and some are used fresh and for oil).

Staple Crop: Sugar: Perennial sugar crops include sugarcane and compare favorably to annuals.

Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

How it is grown

A plant of the tropics, it is able to succeed in subtropical areas. Plants succeed in moist tropical climates where temperatures never fall below 10?c, the average annual rainfall is 1,500mm or more and the driest month has 25mm or more rain. Requires a sunny position in a wet soil. A monocarpic plant - growing for several years without flowering, then producing a massive inflorescence and dying after setting seed. Flowering Time: Early spring, Late spring, Mid spring. Bloom Color: White. Spacing: 20-30 ft. (6-9 m) 30-40 ft. (9-12 m) over 40 ft. (12 m).

Propagating it: Seed - pre-soak for 24 hours in warm water and sow in containers. The seed requires several months to germinate.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Tree

Hardiness: 9-12

Growth: Fast

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist, wet

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Chiwale, Kibo, Mavale, Mkalilila, Mole, Mwaale, Mwale, Viwale, fomby, moronda, rafia, voampiso.

Synonyms

Metroxylon ruffia (Jacq.) Spreng. Raphia kirkii Engl. ex Becc. Raphia lyciosa Comm. ex Kunth Raphia