Raphia vinifera

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Monocots
Cladus: Commelinids
Ordo: Arecales

Familia: Arecaceae
Subfamilia: Calamoideae
Tribus: Lepidocaryeae
Subtribus: Raphiinae
Genus: Raphia
Species: Raphia vinifera
Name

Raphia vinifera P.Beauv., 1806
Synonyms

Homotypic
Sagus raphia Poir. in J.B.A.M.de Lamarck, Encycl. 6: 395 (1805), nom. illeg.
Sagus vinifera (P.Beauv.) Pers., Syn. Pl. 2: 562 (1807).
Metroxylon viniferum (P.Beauv.) Spreng., Syst. Veg. 2: 139 (1825).
Heterotypic
Raphia diasticha Burret, Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin-Dahlem 15: 739 (1942).
Raphia vinifera var. nigerica Otedoh, J. Nigerian Inst. Oil Palm Res. 6(22): 161 (1982).

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Continental: Africa
Regional:Tropical Africa
Benin; Cameroon; Central African Repu; Gabon; Gambia; Ghana; Gulf of Guinea Is.; Nigeria; Togo; Zare

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References

Palisot de Beauvois, A.M.F.J., 1806. Flore d'Oware et de Bénin, en Afrique, par A. M. F. J. Palisot-Beauvois. Paris 1:77.

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2018. Raphia vinifera in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2018 Dec. 13. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2018. Raphia vinifera. Published online. Accessed: Dec. 13 2018.
The Plant List 2013. Raphia vinifera in The Plant List Version 1.1. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2018 Dec. 13.
Tropicos.org 2018. Raphia vinifera. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2018 Dec. 13.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Raphia vinifera in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 08-Apr-12.

Vernacular names

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

The Plant List
USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Raphia vinifera". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information (Royal Gardens, Kew), 1891
Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Raphia vinifera
Ambroise Marie François Joseph Palisot de Beauvois. 1806. Flore d'Oware 1: 77–78, Raphia vinifera
Trees of Nigeria. Keay, R.W.J., Clarendon Press Oxford. 444 p. (1989)
The useful plants of West Africa (Tropical) Ed 2. Vol. 1., Burkill, H.M. (1985)
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)
Otedoh, M.O. 1982. Journal of the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research 6(22): 161, Raphia vinifera var. nigerica