Ravenala

Last updated

Ravenala
Ravenala, travellers palms, on Maui.jpg
Ravenala madagascariensis
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Zingiberales
Family: Strelitziaceae
Genus: Ravenala
Adans.
Synonyms
  • UraniaSchreb

Ravenala is a genus of monocotyledonous flowering plants. Classically, the genus was considered to include a single species, Ravenala madagascariensis from Madagascar.

Contents

Taxonomy

Species of the genus Ravenala are not true palms (family Arecaceae) but members of the family Strelitziaceae. The genus is closely related to the southern African genus Strelitzia and the South American genus Phenakospermum . Some older classifications include these genera in the banana family (Musaceae).

Etymology

The scientific name Ravenala comes from Malagasy ravinala or ravina ala meaning "forest leaves". [1] [2]

Species

Although formerly considered to be monotypic, four different forms have been distinguished. [3] [4] Five new species were described in 2021, all from Madagascar. [5] The following species are currently recognised in the genus Ravenala: [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strelitziaceae</span> Family of flowering plants

The Strelitziaceae comprise a family of monocotyledonous flowering plants, very similar in appearance and growth habit to members of the related families Heliconiaceae and Musaceae. The three genera with seven species of Strelitziaceae have been included in Musaceae in some classifications, but are generally recognized as a separate family in more recent treatments such as the APG II system (2003). The APG II system assigns the Strelitziaceae to the order Zingiberales in the commelinid clade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madagascar lowland forests</span> Ecoregion in Eastern Madagascar

The Madagascar lowland forests or Madagascar humid forests are a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion found on the eastern coast of the island of Madagascar, home to a plant and animal mix that is 80 to 90% endemic, with the forests of the eastern plain being a particularly important location of this endemism. They are included in the Global 200 list of outstanding ecoregions.

<i>Mantella</i> Genus of amphibians

Mantella are a prominent genus of aposematic frogs in the family Mantellidae, endemic to the island of Madagascar. Members of Mantella are diurnal and terrestrial, with bright aposematic coloration or cryptic markings.

<i>Nepenthes madagascariensis</i> Tropical pitcher plant endemic to Madagascar

Nepenthes madagascariensis is one of two Nepenthes pitcher plant species native to Madagascar, the other being N. masoalensis.

<i>Adansonia grandidieri</i> Species of tree from Madagascar

Adansonia grandidieri is the biggest and most famous of Madagascar's six species of baobabs. It is sometimes known as Grandidier's baobab or the giant baobab. In French it is called Baobab malgache. The local name is renala or reniala. This tree is endemic to the island of Madagascar, where it is an endangered species threatened by the encroachment of agricultural land. This is the tree found at the Avenue of the Baobabs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malagasy hippopotamus</span> Extinct species of hippopotamus

Several species of Malagasy hippopotamus lived on the island of Madagascar but are now believed to be extinct. The animals were very similar to the extant hippopotamus and pygmy hippopotamus. The fossil record suggests that at least one species of hippopotamus lived until about 1,000 years ago and other evidence suggests that the species may have survived until much more recently. The taxonomy of these animals is not resolved and not widely studied.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long-billed bernieria</span> Species of bird

The long-billed bernieria, formerly known as long-billed greenbul and sometimes as common tetraka or long-billed tetraka, is a songbird species endemic to Madagascar. It is the only species placed in the genus Bernieria. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malagasy paradise flycatcher</span> Species of bird

The Malagasy paradise flycatcher is a species of bird in the family Monarchidae. It is found in Comoros, Madagascar, and Mayotte. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tsimanampetsotsa National Park</span> National park in Madagascar

Tsimanampetsotsa National Park also spelt Tsimanampetsotse, and known as Tsimanampetsotsa Nature Reserve is a 432 km2 national park on the south-west coast of Madagascar in the region Atsimo-Andrefana. The park is 90 kilometres (56 mi) south of Toliara and 950 kilometres (590 mi) south of the capital, Antananarivo. Route Nationales (RN) 10 to Faux Cap passes the park and the nearest airport is at Toliara. The national park contains and is named after Lake Tsimanampetsotsa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zombitse-Vohibasia National Park</span> National Park in Madagascar

Zombitse-Vohibasia is a national park in the Atsimo-Andrefana region of south-west Madagascar. It is 147 kilometres (91 mi) north-east of the town of Toliara on the National road 7.

<i>Dioscorea orangeana</i> Species of herbaceous vine

Dioscorea orangeana is a tuberous vining flowering plant in the genus Dioscorea, endemic the Forêt d’Orangea near Antsiranana in Madagascar, from which it derives its name. The tuber is possibly edible, and unlike most other Dioscorea species, the tuber has many finger-like lobes as opposed to a single tuber. Because the plant is new to science and the possible harvesting by local populations, the conservation status of Dioscorea orangeana is of great concern.

Cathariostachys madagascariensis, the Madagascar giant bamboo or volohosy in Malagasy language, is a bamboo species found in Madagascar.

<i>Ravenala madagascariensis</i> Species of tree

Ravenala madagascariensis, commonly known as the traveller's tree, traveller's palm or East-West palm, is a species of monocotyledonous flowering plant found in Madagascar. It is not a true palm but a member of the family Strelitziaceae.

<i>Pentachlaena</i> Genus of flowering plants

Pentachlaena is a genus of flowering plant belonging to the Sarcolaenaceae family, endemic to Madagascar. It was first scientifically described in 1920.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flora of Madagascar</span> Plants endemic to Madagascar

The flora of Madagascar consists of more than 12,000 species of plants, as well as a poorly known number of fungi and algae. Around 83% of Madagascar's vascular plants are found only on the island. These endemics include five plant families, 85% of the over 900 orchid species, around 200 species of palms, and such emblematic species as the traveller's tree, six species of baobab and the Madagascar periwinkle. The high degree of endemism is due to Madagascar's long isolation following its separation from the African and Indian landmasses in the Mesozoic, 150–160 and 84–91 million years ago, respectively. However, few plant lineages remain from the ancient Gondwanan flora; most extant plant groups immigrated via across-ocean dispersal well after continental break-up.

Comoranthus is a plant genus native to Madagascar and the Comoro Islands. It contains 3 species:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nosy Komba</span> Island in Madagascar

Nosy Komba is a small volcanic island in Madagascar, situated between the island of Nosy Be and the northwestern coast of the main island of Madagascar. Roughly circular, it rises sharply towards a plateau and the summit of Antaninaombi at the center of the island. The lowlands of the island are divided between secondary forest and a patchwork of farmland and plantations, while the highlands are mainly scrubland. Heavily deforested over the 19th and 20th centuries, only small pockets of old-growth forest remain in rural gullies and hills. The island experiences a heavy dry season typical of northwestern Madagascar, and is dotted by bamboo and Fabaceae trees, alongside the non-native mango and jackfruit. The island hosts a diverse range of reptiles and amphibians, although this has been slightly reduced by past deforestation. The island is known for its namesake black lemurs, an additional nocturnal species of lemur has not been sighted on the island since the 1990s.

Dioscorea alatipes is a herbaceous vine in the genus Dioscorea. It is indigenous to the Morondava Prefecture in Madagascar and is listed as an vulnerable on the IUCN Red List in 2017, having previously been listed as endangered in 2001. It has been confused with another Dioscorea species, D. bako which is a food source of the indigenous people of the region. D. alatipes is found growing in forested areas on sandy soils or on limestone substrate. This species is managed for human consumption as part of the SuLaMa Project. According to the IUCN, the species is threatened by overharvesting of the tubers as well as by the expansion of farmland in the area.

<i>Humbertia</i> Genus of plants

Humbertia is a monotypic genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Convolvulaceae. It only contains one species, Humbertia madagascariensisLam. It is native to Madagascar. It is known in French as bois de fer; it is endemic to southeastern Madagascar where it occurs in humid evergreen forests at altitudes up to about 600 m (2,000 ft).

<i>Borocera cajani</i> Species of moth

Borocera cajani, also known as landibe in Malagasy, is a species of silk-producing lasiocampid moth endemic to Madagascar. It is often confused with the similar Borocera madagascariensis, which has the same Malagasy name. However, B. cajani is the species associated with silk production in highland Madagascar, while B. madagascariensis is found in the coastal portion of the island.

References

  1. Boiteau, Pierre (1997). "reniala". Dictionnaire des noms malgaches de végétaux (in French). Vol. III. Editions Alzieu. Archived from the original on 2022-09-20. Retrieved 2022-09-17 via Malagasy Dictionary and Encyclopedia of Madagascar. de ravina : feuille, et ala : forêt...
  2. Sargent, Charles Sprague (1893). "Garden and Forest: A Journal of Horticulture, Landscape Art and Forestry". 6 (282). Garden and Forest Publishing Company.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. Patrick Blanc; Nelson Rabenandrianina; Annette Hladik & Claude Marcel Hladik (1999). "Les formes sympatriques et allopatriques du genre Ravenala dans les forêts et les milieux ouverts de l'est de Madagascar". Revue d'Écologie, Terre et Vie. 54 (3): 201–223. doi:10.3406/revec.1999.2292. S2CID   163071446.
  4. P. Blanc; A. Hladik; N. Rabenandrianina; J.S. Robert; C.M. Hladik (2003). "Strelitziaceae: The variants of Ravenala in natural and anthropogenic habitats". In Goodman, S.M.; Benstead, J. (eds.). The Natural History of Madagascar (PDF). The University of Chicago Press, Chicago & London. pp. 472–476.
  5. Haevermans, Thomas; Hladik, Annette; Hladik, Claude-Marcel; Razanatsoa, Jacqueline; Haevermans, Agathe; Jeannoda, Vololoniaina; Blanc, Patrick (2021-11-09). "Description of five new species of the Madagascan flagship plant genus Ravenala (Strelitziaceae)". Scientific Reports. 11 (1). Springer Science and Business Media LLC: 21965. Bibcode:2021NatSR..1121965H. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-01161-1. ISSN   2045-2322. PMC   8578647 . PMID   34753985. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  6. "Ravenala Adans. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2024-02-22.