Travelers' Palm

This majestic palm, Ravenala madagascariensis, it is so called, apparently there is a lot of juice/sap in the petioles. Travelers would cut the long petioles or leaf stems to drink the water. Is this an old wives or traveler's tale? Actually, this is not a pure palm but more of a cross with a banana tree.

These palms are seen in Miri, Sarawak. Its long petioles (leaf stems) and deep green leaves resemble those of the banana and extend out from the trunk like the slats of a giant hand fan. The leaves range up to 10 ft (3 m) long and from 12-20in (25-51 cm) in width.

The petioles have a V shape which traps water, and when I was in Singapore, there was a scare of dengue fever. Gardeners were told to religiously lop off the leaves to prevent the mosquitoes from laying eggs in the stagnant water. The poor palm became bald and lost its beautiful fan.