Raphia farinifera

This species is strongly associated with human migration throughout the tropics, leaves being used for thatching, the leaflets for plaiting, and the midribs being a useful material for hut construction, furniture, fences, sweeping-brushes, floats for fishing nets, ladders and poles. The epidermis on the upper surfaces of young leaflets yields raffia, a strong, commercially important fibre, used as cordage in horticulture and handicrafts, and in weaving hats, baskets, mats, shoes, bags, fishing nets, hammocks, curtains and textiles. The midveins of the leaflets are used to construct fishing nets and articles for domestic use. The terminal portion of the core is eaten as a vegetable. The young inflorescences are tapped for a sugary sap which lessens flowering and hastens death. The sap is turned into palm wine, and either further distilled into strong alcohol or used as baking yeast. Fruit pulp is also turned into an alcoholic beverage. Oil extracted from the mesocarp (24%) and seed (1%), and sometimes marketed as 'bamboo oil', produces raphia butter, and soap and stearin. The hard outer shell of the fruit is used for making snuffboxes and buttons, or simply for ornamentation. Wax derived from the lower surfaces of the leaflets is turned into floor and shoe polish, and candles. …