Ravenala

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Ravenala (family Strelitziaceae) A monotypic genus, R. madagascariensis of Madagascar, which is an unbranched tree with banana-like leaves held in a single plane like a huge fan. The fruit is a capsule, the seeds arillate. It is called ‘traveller's palm’ because of the potable water trapped by the sheathing leaf bases, and is widely cultivated.