Common Name:

General Information

Ravenea musicalis is a single-stemmed, evergreen palm tree growing up to 8 metres tall. The unbranched stem can be 30 - 40cm in diameter, it is topped by a crown of 14 - 16 leaves that can be up to 1.8 metres long.
The trunks are sometimes felled for local use to make canoes.
About 450 trees have been seen in the single known site for this palm. The population is declining. There are a number of threats to this species including habitat clearance along the river banks for agricultural expansion and the plants and their seed are harvested for the horticultural trade. Palms are also sometime felled to make canoes. The plant is classified as 'Critically Endangered' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Africa - southeast Madagascar.

Habitat

Slowly flowing water, from 50 - 150cm deep, in lowland rivers at elevations up to 50 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Critically Endangered
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	6.00 m
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

The plant grows in water that can be up to 2.5 metres deep.
Seedlings start their lives as submerged aquatics with flaccid foliage; once the stem has emerged, leaves become rigid[].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The trunks are sometimes felled and used to make canoes[].

Propagation

Seed -

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