Table 1 Comparison of the main distinctive morphological characters for the six species of Ravenala.
From: Description of five new species of the Madagascan flagship plant genus Ravenala (Strelitziaceae)
R. agatheae | R. blancii | R. grandis | R. hladikorum | R. madagascariensis | R. menahirana | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Habit | Suckering | Solitary | Solitary | Solitary | Suckering | Solitary |
Adult dimensions (m) | 6–10 | 10–15 | 20–30 | 10–15 | 6–12 | 6–10 |
Leaves lamina color | Dark green | Dark green | Light green | Dark green | Light green | Dark green |
Leaves simultaneously alive | 9–22 | 9–16 | 15–30 | 9–18 | 14–26 | 12–18 |
Petiole color | Tricolor (white, green, red) | Green | Dark green/Yellowish | Greenish-yellow | Yellowish green | Dark red |
Sheath margin dvp. | Very developed (10 mm+) | Undeveloped | Developped (0–9 mm) | Very developed (10 mm+) | Developed (0–9 mm) | Very developed (10 mm+) |
Sheath margin shape | Dryish papyraceous | Eroded | Entire/split | Brown papyraceous, split | Not dry, entire/split | Dark red dry zigzag |
Petiole & dry infr. persistence | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
Juvenile lamina | Non-decurrent | Decurrent | Non-decurrent | Non-decurrent | Non-decurrent | Non-decurrent |
Juvenile lamina distribution | Irregular fan | Torus shape | Irregular fan | Irregular fan | Irregular fan | Irregular fan |
Adult leaves distribution | Regular fan | Regular fan | Regular fan | Irregular fan | Regular fan | Irregular fan |
Bracts #/Infl. | 10–14 | 4–6 | 10–20 | 4–7 | 8–16 | 10–12 |
Bracts L/l | 450–500 \(\times\) 80–90 (5.3) | 160–350 \(\times\) 50–90 (3.9) | 440–540 \(\times\) 140–170 (3.16) | 150–510 \(\times\) 140–170 (2.3) | 200–450 \(\times\) 50–100 (4.3) | 260–360 \(\times\) 50–80 (4.8) |
Bracts persistence | Siff and coriaceous | Torn and degraded | Siff and coriaceous | Siff and coriaceous | Siff and coriaceous | Siff and coriaceous |
Infructescence imbrication | Compact | Compact | Lax | Compact | Lax | Compact |
Flower length (+ovary) in mm | 260–310 | 165–280 | 300 | 240–320 | 240–280 | 220–250 |
Free vs fused petals ratio | Much shorter (0.6) | Subequal (1) | Slightly smaller (0.8) | Slightly smaller (0.9) | Slightly smaller (0.8) | Subequal (1) |
Stamens size vs perianth | Similar | Similar | Much shorter | Similar | Similar | Similar |
Fruit apex | Conical | Conical | Truncated | Truncated | Conical | Truncated with bony mucro |
