Voa-nio-ala
Voanioala gerardii
Family: Arecaceae
What it is like
A solitary palm. It grows 15-20 m tall. It has a large root boss about 1 m across. The trunk is about 35 cm across. It is brown with indented rings of leaf base scars. The leaf crown is less than a half circle. The leaves are 5 m long. The leaflets are dark green and leathery. They are 1.6 m long. They are regularly spaced and stiff. The flowering stalk is 1.6 m long. It grows erect from the leaf crown but bends over with fruit. The mature fruit are bright red. They are 9 cm long. There are fibres over the seeds.
There is only one Voanioala species.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. It grows in swampy valley bottoms at about 400 m altitude in Madagascar.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, East Africa, Madagascar
How it is used for food
Edible parts
Palm heart
How it is grown
It is slow growing.