2 Graines Arbre du voyageur, Ravenala madagascariensis

Traveler's tree, Ravenala Madagascariensis |

Traveler's tree or Ravenale or Ravinala (Ravenala Madagascariensis) is a kind of tropical plants from the family of Strelitziaceae, Originally and Endemic of Madagascar. It was conventionally considered that the genus Genre RAVENALA was Monospecific, with a single species (Ravenala Madagascariensis), but research in Madagascar has shown in 2021 that five other species existed2: Ravenala Agatheae Haev. & razanats., R. Blancii Haev., V.Jeannoda & A.HLADIK, R. Grandis Haev., Razanats, A.Hladik & P. White, R. Hladikorum Haev., Razanats., V. Jeannoda & P.BLANC, R. Madagascariensis Sonn., And R. Menahirana Haev . & Razanats.

2 Seeds

Ravinala3 is the name Malagasy of the tree.

Its abundant sap is drinking, and easy to extract from a machete stroke4,5. This fact has earned it its vernacular name in Western languages, because the tree thus makes it possible to quench the traveler.

Originally from Madagascar, the traveler's tree is part of the Stratlziacae family. It is not a tree (in the botanical sense of the term), but an herbaceous plant in stipe incomplete, which sometimes makes it look like a Palm. Due to its shape and size, it is from afar. Adult, the stipe measures approximately ten meters in height, which brings its total height to around 20 m. The botanist Philibert Commerson describes him during his stay in Madagascar in 1779-1780.

Its vast leaves are arranged in a fan, in the same plane. Their cutting base retains the rainwater in which many mosquitoes come to lay. In Madagascar, these water tanks accommodate very original species which are subservient to this micro-habitat (Batraciens, Coleoptera and Mosquitoes)6. The Petiole is longer than the Limbe.

When it flowers, it produces large white flowers, at 3 sepales, 3 Pétales and 6 Stamens, in Spathes de 15-20 cm. In Madagascar, the flowering begins in September. The Pollinization is ensured by the Bat and the Lémuri ans. The fruit are 6 -box capsules, resembling woody bananas, containing many seeds surrounded by intense blue fibers that attract birds.

This species which does not resist frost has long been introduced into tropical botanical gardens around the world, especially in Pamplemousses botanical garden in Maurice, at Botanical garden d 'Eala in Democratic Republic of Congo7, Au National Tropical Botanical Garden (en) de Hawaï8, at Botanical garden of Southern China at Guangzhou9… ; In temperate climate, it is cultivated under Serre or in orangery.

Contents subject to the CC-BY-SA license 3.0. Source : Article Traveler tree from Wikipedia in French (Authors)