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Ravenea musicalis, or the river palm, is a species of flowering plant in the family Arecaceae. Also known by the Antanosy word "torendriky", meaning "submerged trunk", R. musicalis is known for being the only truly aquatic palm tree. Like many mangrove trees, R. musicalis seeds germinate within the fruit, and the seedling takes root underwater, as much as 2.5 m (8 ft) below the surface, so that it spends its early years completely under water. Endemic to Madagascar, R. musicalis was first discovered in 1993 by Henk Beentje on an expedition funded by the McDonald's restaurant. although of course it was ethnoknown by the Antanosy People for centuries. This palm is listed in the IUCN Red List. This tree is harvested by local people primarily for building material and food. Over-harvesting, habitat degradation and habitat loss threaten the remaining populations. Horticulturalists prize R.
Endemic to southeast Madagascar, R. musicalis has only been found to live in three populations in the Belavenoka, Vatomirindry, and Ebakika Rivers. The Area of Occupancy, a measure frequently used by the IUCN to determine conservation status, is estimated to be only 7.25 square kilometers (2.80 sq mi). Henk Beentje originally discovered the species in the Belavenoka River in 1993 during his primary expedition, while the Vatomirindry and Ebakika populations were found later in the 2000s. The Ebabkika and Belavenoka populations portray clear signs of palm tree harvesting and are dwindling at a higher rate than the remote Vatomirindry population. Ravenea musicalis does not appear to be thriving in any other location of the world.
Palm trees play a vital role in the lives of Malagasy peoples. R. musicalis is known to be harvested by local people for building materials and food. In the wet season, the wood is often used to build temporary canoes known as pirogues. In the learner dry season, the heart of the tree is harvested for edible palm hearts. This tree, like many palms, can be used for timber, fronds, and rattan. Additionally, palms like R. musicalis, can be used as a source of wax for cosmetics and be used in the kitchen in a variety of ways as source of oil, sugar, jams, heart-of-palm, etc. R. musicalis is also sought after by foreign horticulturists for their seeds due to the plant's rarity and unique life history. R. musicalis is reportedly very difficult to cultivate, since the seeds need to germinate in water, and they rot if not cleaned after collection.
Ravenea albicans · Ravenea beentjei · Ravenea delicatula · Ravenea dransfieldii · Ravenea glauca · Ravenea hildebrandtii · Ravenea hypoleuca · Ravenea julietiae · Ravenea krociana · Ravenea lakatra · Ravenea latisecta · Ravenea louvelii
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Ravenea musicalis by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
