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Ravenala madagascarensis Sonner.
Synonym
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:
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Ravenala guyannensis
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Family
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:
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Strelitziaceae
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Local name
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English- Traveler´s
Palm
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Flowering and fruiting
period
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:
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December-May
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Distribution
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Native
of Madagascar
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Distribution in Kerala
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:
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All
Districts
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Habitat
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Grown
in garden plant
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Endemic/Exotic
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:
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Exotic
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Uses
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:
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It is
used primarily for construction,
but other uses have also been noticed including food, medicine and tools.
Using Ravenala for house building reduces the pressure on some forest trees,
which contributes to the conservation of natural forests and slow growing
hardwoods.
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Key
botanical characters:
Tall
palm like plants, up to 8 m tall and 18 cm in diameter, texture is smooth and
ringed with old leaf scars. Leaves Banana like, up to 3 m long and often wind
torn giving the appearance of being pinnately divided. Flowers monoecious,
small, white on a 30 cm long inflorescence. Fruit 2 cm in diameter, round,
brown when ripe.
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