# Raphia australis > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Raphia_australis > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Raphia_australis.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raphia_australis > Source revision: 1315114289 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Species of palm Raphia australis Conservation status Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)[1] Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae Clade: Embryophytes Clade: Tracheophytes Clade: Spermatophytes Clade: Angiosperms Clade: Monocots Clade: Commelinids Order: Arecales Family: Arecaceae Genus: Raphia Species: R. australis Binomial name Raphia australis Oberm. & Strey ***Raphia australis***, the **giant palm**, **Kosi Palm**, or **rafia**, is a species of [raffia palm](/source/Raffia_palm) in the family [Arecaceae](/source/Arecaceae). It is found around [Kosi Bay](/source/Kosi_Bay) in southern [Mozambique](/source/Mozambique) and northeastern [KwaZulu Natal](/source/KwaZulu_Natal) in [South Africa](/source/South_Africa). It is threatened by [habitat loss](/source/Habitat_loss) caused by drainage of its habitat for agriculture; it is being threatened in the Bobole Special Reserve but is more secure in the Kosi Bay area. ## Description *Raphia australis* *Raphia australis* is a large palm with a single trunk, growing to a height of 24 m (80 ft). The crown of 9 m (30 ft) leaves[2] are long and arching, the bases of the leaf stalks sheathing the trunk. The leaves are pinnate, the centre stem or [rachis](/source/Rachis) being robust and brown, while the leaflets have a single fold and are shiny green above and waxy and bluish-green below. The main veins and the margins of the leaflets are spiny. This palm was for a long time thought to be the same species as *[Raphia vinifera](/source/Raphia_vinifera)*, but that has proven not to be the case, the most obvious difference being that the flower stems of *R. australis* are erect while those of *R. vinifera* dangle downwards.[3] ## Distribution and habitat *Raphia australis* is [endemic](/source/Endemism) to [Gaza Province](/source/Gaza_Province) in southern Mozambique and near [Kwangwanase](/source/Kwangwanase) at [Kosi Bay](/source/Kosi_Bay) in [KwaZulu Natal](/source/KwaZulu_Natal) in South Africa. There are four subpopulations, the largest one being at [Manhiça District](/source/Manhi%C3%A7a_District) in Mozambique where there are about 4,000 mature individuals. This palm grows in swamps, [peat bogs](/source/Bog) and seasonally flooded dunes.[1] ## Ecology *Raphia australis* flowers when it is between twenty and forty years old, sets fruit and dies, although the dying process may take up to three years. The tree has specialised aerial roots known as [pneumatophores](/source/Pneumatophore) to help it to breathe.[1] The seeds are eaten and dispersed by the [palm-nut vulture](/source/Palm-nut_vulture), which is widespread in other coastal regions of Africa but in southern Africa only occurs in association with this palm.[4] ## References Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Raphia australis](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Raphia_australis). 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-iucn_status_15_November_2021_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-iucn_status_15_November_2021_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-iucn_status_15_November_2021_1-2) Matimele, H.A.; Massingue, A.O.; Raimondo, D.; Bandeira, S.; Burrows, J.E.; Darbyshire, I.; Timberlake, J. (2016). ["*Raphia australis*"](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/30359/85955288). *[IUCN Red List of Threatened Species](/source/IUCN_Red_List)*. **2016** e.T30359A85955288. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T30359A85955288.en](https://doi.org/10.2305%2FIUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T30359A85955288.en). Retrieved 15 November 2021. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Pakenham, Thomas (2007). *In Search of Remarkable Trees*. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson. pp. 126–127. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-297-843801](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-297-843801). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Brink_3-0)** Brink, M.; Achigan-Dako, E.G. (2012). [*Fibres*](https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_AspmAgAAQBAJ). PROTA. p. [399](https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_AspmAgAAQBAJ/page/n399). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-92-9081-481-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-92-9081-481-8). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Gidlow, R.M. (2002). "The history of exchange controls in South Africa". *South African Journal of Economic History*. **17** (1–2): 25–48. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1080/10113430209511143](https://doi.org/10.1080%2F10113430209511143). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [1011-3436](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1011-3436). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [153424887](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:153424887). - ["*Raphia australis*"](http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantqrs/raphiaaust.htm). *PlantZAfrica.com*. Retrieved 2010-02-11. Taxon identifiers Raphia australis Wikidata: Q5502857 Wikispecies: Raphia australis APDB: 33115 BioLib: 1107126 BOLD: 252299 CoL: 4RJYG EoL: 1132028 GBIF: 5293234 GRIN: 30860 iNaturalist: 365973 IPNI: 669499-1 IUCN: 30359 NCBI: 1237789 Open Tree of Life: 3948753 Plant List: kew-176699 POWO: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:669499-1 SANBI: 3413-1 Tropicos: 100250596 WFO: wfo-0000294894 --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Raphia australis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raphia_australis) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raphia_australis?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.