Ravenala madagascariensis
Ravenala madagascariensis, commonly known as the traveller's tree, fan palm, 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. In tropical and subtropical regions, the plant is widely cultivated for its distinctive habit and foliage.
Name
It has been given the name "traveller's palm" because the sheaths of the stems hold rainwater, which supposedly could be used as an emergency drinking supply for needy travellers. Another plausible reason for its name is that the fan tends to grow on an east–west line, providing a crude compass.Description
The enormous paddle-shaped leaves are borne on long petioles, in a distinctive fan shape aligned in a single plane. The foliar fan consists of 30 to 45 leaves for mature specimens, each as much as 36 feet in length. As the plant grows older, it progressively loses the lowest or oldest leaves and reveals a sturdy grey trunk. Of the four forms, varieties or subspecies, the largest is the "Bemavo", from the hills of eastern Madagascar, which can be 100 feet in height with a trunk 2 feet thick.The large white flowers are structurally similar to those of its relatives, the bird-of-paradise flowers Strelitzia reginae and Strelitzia nicolai, but are generally considered less attractive, with a green bract. These flowers, upon being pollinated, produce brilliant blue seeds.
The chromosome number is 2n = 22.