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, 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]

West African piassava palm
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Arecales
Family: Arecaceae
Genus: Raphia
Species:
R. vinifera
Binomial name
Raphia vinifera
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.

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

References

edit
  1. ^ The Plant List
  2. ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "​Raphia vinifera​". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. 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