Nigerian Raphia

[chris.oz]

Going from South to North. Nigeria runs from an Equatorial climate to a sub saharan semi desert.

In the southern areas, the dominant palm is the Elais guiniensis, with the Raphia filling in some swampy areas.

As you travel further north suddenly Borassus aethieopium appears and eventually becomes the only palm growing in the sub saharan region, apart from the odd Doum palm.

But wherever Elaies , Borassus and Raphia are prevalent, there is a small industry tapping the palms for palm wine.

In some places the palms are tapped so they survive, this applies to both Borassus and Elaeis. After tapping the palms mostly sprout again, and leave a skirt of drooping fronds , topped by a shaving brush. Sometimes the palm dies.

Maybe in the case of Raphia, the palms dont recover, because of the way palms are tapped in this location.

Here is a grove of Raphia hookeri ???? in the swamp.

Here is a single Raphia hookeri ???

[chris.oz]

In any case my adventure described here was to a jungle area in the heart of Lagos, 6 degrees North of the Equator.

Here is a palm which has already been tapped by these enterprising Nigerian guys.

Here is a palm tapper putting the container up near the bud to tap the sap.

[chris.oz]

Ok, so in the pervasive 34 degree 85% RH heat, we walked into the palm wine brewing spot amongst the Plantain and Colocasia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantain

In Nigeria both bananas and Plantain are popular, but Plantain is more popular as it not so sweet, but is an important source of starch.

Bananas and Plantain look very similar. Quite clearly they are closely related.

Here is an attractive butterfly which landed nearby

[chris.oz]

Here is our very happy , friendly palm wine man.

So I tasted palm wine for the first time here. Its very sweet, at least at the level of fermentation it had achieved at that time. Its price is about $1.50 per litre and its quite intoxicating.

When we left everyone was happy.

But by the time we got back to the office 3 hours later, the corks had popped and half of the palm wine ended up on the carpet of the car. What a waste !

[chris.oz]

Actually now that I look at it, the aroid is probably an Alocasia ????, and there are not particularly good shots of the

Musa "Plantain"

[chris.oz]

Even the bars in Nigeria sometimes offer palm wine. It is said to be good for eyesight

[sarasota alex]

Interesting stuff Chris! Thanks!

[Tassie_Troy1971]

Awesome palm pics Chris

Good to see Raphia in habitat

[DoomsDave]

Hic!

[Cedric]

Very nice to see Raphia hookerii in habitate.

[Miccles]

Nice work Chris !!

Love seeing posts from parts of the world "off the beaten path", so to speak.

Hey, just a thought.....was the palm wine on "tap" in that bar ??

Ahem....I'll get my coat.....

[aussiearoids]

Most of the Raphias die after flowering so its good to make use of the sap .. amazing big dreadlocks of reptilian looking seeds form for years . I think hookeri can sucker so it may survive .

[Cedric]

thing is taking sap is not always sustainable, not if the palm dies before it can set seed

Edited February 6, 2012 by Cedric

[chris.oz]

Most common palms in Lagos, or at least the parts of Lagos I have seen pretty much in order:

Elaeis guineensis

Roystonia regia

Pritchardia pacifica

Dypsis lutescens

Adonidia merrillii

Livistona rotundifolia

Not a huge diversity really

Strange: Bismarckia is rare, but would grow well here.

[Sabal Steve]

Bump

[Explorer]

Africa is has not many palmspecies due to the iceages when Africa was much drier then today. Only Madagascar has remained rich in palmspecies.

The Alocasia is A. odora from South East Asia.

Alexander