Makalani palm

Description

The Real fan palm (Hyphaene petersiana),locally known as the Makalani palm,is a palm tree native to the subtropical,low-lying regions of south central Africa.Its habitat is open woodland,flood plains,banks of rivers and the fringes of pans and swamps.It is found in Burundi,Rwanda,the Democratic Republic of the Congo,Tanzania,Angola,Mozambique,Malawi,Zambia,Zimbabwe,Botswana,Namibia and the northern and north-eastern Transvaal. As with other Hyphaene species,H.petersiana is dioicous and the female plants produce copious fruit of some 60 mm diameter.Up to 2,000 fruit may be found on a tree,the combined yield of about four seasons.The seeds germinate with difficulty but find saline conditions beneficial.They develop massive tap-roots which draw saline water deep underground.Though slow-growing,they may attain a maximum height of 18m.Typical adult plants are in the order of 5-7m high.