| Ravenea | |
|---|---|
| |
| Ravenea rivularis | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Arecales |
| Family: | Arecaceae |
| Subfamily: | Ceroxyloideae |
| Tribe: | Ceroxyleae |
| Genus: | Ravenea C.D.Bouché |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Ravenea is a genus of 20 known species of palms, all native to Madagascar and the Comoros.[1][2]
They are small to large, dioecious palms, with solitary, robust grey stems, swollen at base and gradually tapering upward. The species vary greatly in size, with R. hildebrandtii and R. nana only reaching 4 m, while R. robustior and R. sambiranensis both reach 30 m. The leaves are up to 2–5 m long, pinnately compound, reduplicate, erect at first then arching, twisted near the apex; with numerous crowded narrow ribbed leaflets. The inflorescence is short, borne among the leaves; the fruit is a red drupe.[3] One particular species, Ravenea rivularis, is commonly cultivated as a houseplant and grown indoors all over the world. However, it is actually considered a vulnerable species in its wild habitat with fewer than 900 trees growing naturally.
- ^ a b Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
- ^ Beentje, H. J. (1994). "A Monograph of Ravenea (Palmae: Ceroxyloideae)". Kew Bulletin. 49 (4): 623–671. Bibcode:1994KewBu..49..623B. doi:10.2307/4118064. JSTOR 4118064.
- ^ Govaerts, R. & Dransfield, J. (2005). World Checklist of Palms: 1-223. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.