''Ravenea'' is a genus of 20 known species of palms, all native to

Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

and the

Comoros The Comoros, officially the Union of the Comoros, is an archipelagic country made up of three islands in Southeastern Africa, located at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city is Moroni, ...

.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
/ref> It is not to be confused with ''

Ravenala ''Ravenala'' is a genus of monocotyledonous flowering plants. Classically, the genus was considered to include a single species, ''Ravenala madagascariensis'' from Madagascar. Taxonomy Species of the genus ''Ravenala'' are not true palms (famil ...

'', a genus of superficially palm-like plants also from Madagascar. They are small to large,

dioecious Dioecy ( ; ; adj. dioecious, ) is a characteristic of certain species that have distinct unisexual individuals, each producing either male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproduction is ...

palms, with solitary, robust grey stems, swollen at base and gradually tapering upward. The species vary greatly in size, with ''R. hildebrandtii'' and ''R. nana'' only reaching 4 m, while ''R. robustior'' and ''R. sambiranensis'' both reach 30 m. The

leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...

are up to 2–5 m long, pinnately compound, reduplicate, erect at first then arching, twisted near the apex; with numerous crowded narrow ribbed leaflets. The

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

is short, borne among the leaves; the

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (angiosperms) that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propaga ...

is a red

drupe In botany, a drupe (or stone fruit) is a type of fruit in which an outer fleshy part (exocarp, or skin, and mesocarp, or flesh) surrounds a single shell (the ''pip'' (UK), ''pit'' (US), ''stone'', or ''pyrena'') of hardened endocarp with a seed ...

. One particular species, ''

Ravenea rivularis ''Ravenea rivularis'', the majestic palm, or majesty palm, is a species of tree in the family Arecaceae. They generally grow to 10 to 12 feet tall and are often marketed in stores as a "houseplant" in a pot, in its natural state, the majesty palm ...

'', is commonly cultivated as a houseplant and grown indoors all over the world. However, it is actually considered a

vulnerable species A vulnerable species is a species which has been Conservation status, categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as being threatened species, threatened with extinction unless the circumstances that are threatened species, ...

in its wild habitat with fewer than 900 trees growing naturally.

Species

Most of the species are

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

. Species such as ''R. moorei'' are critically so, with only two specimens known, last seen in 1993
IUCN report
. ''R. louvelii'' is little better off, with fewer than 25 plants known
IUCN report
. Overall, less than 50 trees of several species are still alive. Historical data indicates that populations are still decreasing for most, except for ''Ravenea sambiranesis'' and '' Ravenea madagascariensis''. The species listed as

critically endangered An IUCN Red List critically endangered (CR or sometimes CE) species is one that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. As of December 2023, of t ...

will most likely become

extinct Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...

this century unless measures are taken to cultivate new trees and protect their habitats from being disrupted by

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal and destruction of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. Ab ...

and

water pollution Water pollution (or aquatic pollution) is the contamination of Body of water, water bodies, with a negative impact on their uses. It is usually a result of human activities. Water bodies include lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers, reservoirs and ...

. Even if as few as a dozen trees of each species were planted on ideal, protected land where they could reproduce, it would give each species a much better chance for survival.

Cultivation and uses

'' (majesty palm) is widely cultivated in subtropical regions, and it is sold commercially as a houseplant. It is an adaptable palm that looks somewhat similar to the ever-popular Queen palm. It is a very large palm with a large, untidy crown. It has symmetrical leaves and develops an attractive swollen base of the trunk. Majesty palms prefer full sun, plenty of water, and high humidity to ensure healthy growth. It is tolerant of different soil types. Propagation is by seeds, which germinate in 2–3 months. Ravenea rivularis 2zz

References

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden: ''Ravenea''RBG Kew: ''Ravenea''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q144677 Arecaceae genera Flora of the Western Indian Ocean Dioecious plants Taxa named by Carl David Bouché