|
Raphia ruwenzorica
Highland Raffia Palm A moderate sized species native to the highlands of eastern Africa in Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and neighboring areas of the Dem. Rep. of Congo, where it is found in moist valley bottoms between 800 and 1200 m, sharing a habitat with the famous mountain gorillas. It forms a solitary trunk to 10 m tall, mostly covered in the persistent leafbases. The leafbases produce copious amounts of long, brown fibers. The lightly plumose, ascending to arching leaves are shorter than in most Raphia, forming a denser, more spreading crown, and consist of up to 150 broad leaflets that are dark green above and an attractive waxy white grey below. The short petioles as well as the leaf midrib are a brilliant yellowish orange color and are the highlight of this palm. It has one of the largest fruits in the genus, up to 13 cm long, covered in attractive, snakeskin-like scales. The Highland Raffia Palm is apparently unknown in cultivation outside of Africa so far but will surely grow well in many warm temperate and all tropical climates | 
