Raphia vinifera

{{Short description|Species of grass}}

{{Italic title}}

{{Speciesbox

|name = West African piassava palm

|image = Palha da costa, iko, Igí-Ògòrò, raphia vinifera, 001.JPG

|genus = Raphia

|species = vinifera

|authority = P.Beauv.

|synonyms_ref = [http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-176754 The Plant List]

|synonyms = *Metroxylon viniferum (P.Beauv.) Spreng.

• Raphia diasticha Burret
• Raphia vinifera var. nigerica Otedoh
• Sagus raphia Poir.
• Sagus vinifera (P.Beauv.) Pers.
• Sagus vinifera (P. Beauv.) Poir.

}}

Raphia vinifera, the West African piassava palm,{{PLANTS|id=RAVI2|taxon=Raphia vinifera|accessdate=18 October 2015}} bamboo palm or West African bass fibre[https://www.jstor.org/pss/4114956 Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information (Royal Gardens, Kew), 1891] is a palm tree species in the genus Raphia. It is native to Benin, Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Central African Republic, Cameroon, and Democratic Republic of the Congo ( = Zaire = Congo-Kinshasa).[http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=176754 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Raphia vinifera]Ambroise Marie François Joseph Palisot de Beauvois. 1806. Flore d'Oware 1: 77–78, Raphia vinifera It is particularly abundant along the creeks of Niger Delta, Cross River, Lagos and Ikorodu in Nigeria.Trees of Nigeria. Keay, R.W.J., Clarendon Press Oxford. 444 p. (1989)

The nut contains bitter oil, which has the property of stupefying fish.The useful plants of West Africa (Tropical) Ed 2. Vol. 1., Burkill, H.M. (1985)[http://www.bioline.org.br/pdf?bk05019 Toxicity of Raphia vinifera, P. beauv fruit extracts on biochemical composition of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus, Trewavas). Oyebamiji O. Fafioye, S. O. Fagade and A. A. Adebisi, Biokemistri 17(2):137–142 (Dec 2005)]Otedoh, M.O. 1982. Journal of the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research 6(22): 161, Raphia vinifera var. nigerica The variety or subspecies found in the Niger River delta is called the "King Raphia" (Raphia vinifera nigerica) is extraordinary in being the only known type of palm with opposite pairs of leaves.{{cite book |last=Tuley |first=Paul |date=1995 |title=The Palms of Africa |location=St. Ives, Cornwall, United Kingdom |publisher=Trendrine Press |page=82 |ISBN=0-9512-562-5-4}} This variety also differs in having reddish petioles.