Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
ravenala

ravenala

9.9
A tall tropical plant from Madagascar with fan-shaped leaves and drinkable sap in its leafstalks
  • noun
  • /ˈrævənˌɑːlə/
  • Specialized
: ravenala
  • The ravenala is often called the traveler's tree due to its reservoir of water in the leafstalks.

Examples

  • The ravenala is often called the traveler's tree.

  • Many tourists admire the ravenala for its unique shape.

  • Explorers have long relied on the ravenala as a source of refreshment during their journeys.

  • In Madagascar, the ravenala is a prominent feature of the landscape and is used for its edible parts.

  • Explorers have long relied on the ravenala as a source of refreshment during their journeys.

  • In Madagascar, the ravenala is a prominent feature of the landscape and is used for its edible parts.

  • The ravenala is often called the traveler's tree due to its reservoir of water in the leafstalks.

Synonyms

traveler's tree
vsravenala
  • US
1 9.9

A tall tropical plant with fan-shaped leaves that stores clear drinkable sap in its stems

gives the general identification rather than stressing emergency water use
Ravenala madagascariensis
vsravenala
  • Specialized
1 9.9

Large tree-like plant from Madagascar with fan-shaped leaves, nuts you can eat, and leaf stalks that give drinkable sap

is the common everyday name rather than the scientific label

Compounds

Ravenala madagascariensis
  • Specialized
1 9.9

Large tree-like plant from Madagascar with fan-shaped leaves, nuts you can eat, and leaf stalks that give drinkable sap

Surface Forms

ravenala singular
ravenalas plural

Etymology

Ravenala comes from the Malagasy name ravinala, made from ravina ('leaf') and ala ('forest'), so it means 'leaf of the forest'. The plant's large, fan-shaped leaves and the water stored in their leaf stems made it a useful 'traveler's tree', which explains its modern name and use.