559.000 Raphia P. Beauv. - Raffia palms

Mbandu Luzolawo, P., Lubini Ayingweu, C, Mogue Kamga, S. & Stauffer, F.W. (2020) Palmae Flore d'Afrique Centrale Nouvelle Serie Jardin Botanique Meise, Belgique

Description of the genus

Monoecious trees, the base often bearing aerial roots (see image 3). Leaves pinnate, enormous, the largest in the plant kingdom; leaflets numerous, arranged in 1-several planes. Inflorescences up to 3 m, large, branched. Male flowers: calyx tubular, 3-lobed; corolla with 3 lobes; stamens 6-many. Female flowers: calyx and corolla similar to male; staminodes present; stigmas 3. Fruit bearing glossy brown scales.

Worldwide: About 20 species, all but two confined to tropical Africa.

DRC: 8 taxa.

No image yet

Links to taxa:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this genus

SpeciesBotanical divisionsContent
farinifera (Gaertn.) Hyl.?Description, Image
gentiliana De Wild. [NrEnd] [LR-lc]III, IV,VI,VII
laurentii De Wild.IV,V,VIDescription
matombe De Wild.I,III,V
regalis Becc.IIDescription
rostrata Burret [NrEnd] [DD]II
ruwenzorica Otedoh [NrEnd] [DD]IX
sese De Wild. [NrEnd] [LR-lc]III, VI

Other sources of information about Raphia:

Our websites:

Flora of Burundi: Raphia
Flora of Malawi: Raphia
Flora of Mozambique: Raphia
Flora of Zambia: Raphia
Flora of Zimbabwe: Raphia
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Raphia

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Raphia
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Raphia
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Raphia
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Raphia
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Raphia
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Raphia
JSTOR Plant Science: Raphia
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Raphia
Plants of the World Online: Raphia
Tropicos: Raphia
Wikipedia: Raphia

Copyright: The DRC flora team, 2024-26

The DRC flora team (2026). Flora of the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Genus page: Raphia.
https://www.drcongoflora.com/speciesdata/genus.php?genus_id=297, retrieved 18 June 2026

Site software last modified: 24 June 2025 6:53pm (GMT +2)
Terms of use