Tree of travelers from the banana family. Leonid Efimovich Rodin travel to the tropics. Care and cultivation of equals at home

Sugar or some other bait is poured into the “pot” without a lid, and it turns into a trap for small monkeys. Having put his head inside and stuffed food into his mouth, the monkey can no longer pull it out and rush about helplessly until he is caught.

From here, probably, the popular name of the sapukai - "monkey pot" came from. It happens that inexperienced dogs fall into this trap.

On one of the paths in the garden, we noticed several children who were picking up something from the ground and putting it in their pockets. Coming closer, we saw a lot of light orange, plum-like fruits. Almost all the “plums” had already been picked up from the path, and the guys reached out with their hands to the lawn, where the fruits lay in abundance. Where do these "plums" come from? Nearby, we did not notice trees with such fruits. Then, looking closely, we saw in the dense and spreading crown of a huge tree, bright little fruits hanging among large dark green leaves, the same as those that the boys picked up. A plank was fixed near the trunk. After reading the inscription, we learned that this tree is called taperiba (Spondias lutea from the Anacardiaceae family) and that its fruits are edible. We followed the example of the children and tasted unfamiliar fruits. The first “plum” seemed very tasty, from the second I felt the taste of tart essential oil, the third slightly burned my lips and set me on edge. The fourth "plum" I did not eat. You never know what is written, as if the fruits of taperiba are edible!

We decided to collect fruit seeds for seeds. Sergei Vasilyevich talked to the children, and they unanimously began emptying their pockets, putting the delicacy into their mouths.

They ate the pulp, and the bones were immediately given out of their mouths to us. As you can see, these boys were not afraid of soreness. In addition, Boris Konstantinovich generously rewarded them with money for this "work".

Cola tree.

Cola fruit.

Among the many useful plants of the tropics, the cola tree (Cola nitida from the Sterculia family) from Africa has become widely known. Kola seeds, commonly referred to as kola nuts, contain the tonic substances colatin, caffeine, and theobromine. These substances excite the nervous system and help to lift the strength of a tired person. The properties of cola have been known to Negro tribes for a long time. Now kola is cultivated in many tropical countries, including South America. We saw several cola trees in the Rio Botanical Garden.

In many countries, kola nuts are added to chocolate, and medicines are also prepared from them. We can find in pharmacies "chocolate cola", one slice of which noticeably invigorates with fatigue.

In the United States, a capitalist company began to manufacture a soft drink called Coca-Cola, advertising that it contained an extract from the kola nut. But speculators from the United States soon went to the unscrupulous deception of a gullible consumer. Instead of cola, they began to add various substitutes harmful to health to the drink, as was proved by special chemical analyzes.

Guarana.

The tropical forests of Brazil have their own "cola" - this is guarana (Paulinia cupana from the Sapindidae family), a shrub whose fruits also contain substances that stimulate the nervous system. The properties of the plant have long been known to the Indians. The plant is probably named after one of the Indian tribes (Guarani).

Some Brazilian company, inspired by the success of Coca-Cola, came out with their drink "guarana". Now both firms compete in advertising their “healing waters” on squares and fences, in restaurants and cafes, handing tinted water to a consumer relaxed by tropical heat.

Cola should not be confused with coca (Erythroxylon coca from the erythroxylic family), a shrub from which a strong stimulant, cocaine, is extracted. The Indians used coca from ancient times during their wanderings through the forests. To dull the feeling of hunger and drive away fatigue, they chewed coca leaves. Coca is native to the montane rainforests of Bolivia and Peru. Cocaine, extracted from coca, is used in medicine for pain relief. However, it is harmful to the body, so recently it has been replaced in Soviet medicine with other substances. In Western Europe and especially in the United States, cocaine has spread as a drug that causes a feeling of intoxication, gaiety and a surge of vigor. Since the sale of cocaine is prohibited in some places, secret dealers make a lot of money. And the frequent use of cocaine inevitably leads to mental disorders and, in general, to moral decay. And this is very significant for the capitalist countries.

We saw here the original mulatto tree (Calycophyllum spruceanum from the madder family), so named for the chocolate color of the bark - smooth, like the skin of a swarthy person.

This tree is remarkable in that it sheds its bark every year in July - August.

Traveler tree.

Remarkable Ravenala, or traveler's tree (Ravenala madagascariensis from the banana family), originally from Africa. If you bend back the thick petiole of its huge fan-shaped leaf, then a trickle of water will flow out.

This was shown to us by a gardener who was nearby when we examined the traveler's tree.

He uncurled the petiole of the leaf and water flowed from there. She was cool and transparent.

There is another way to get water - you need to make a puncture at the bottom of the sheet.

Travelers in the dry African savannas quench their thirst with this water.

Ravenals weave the walls of huts from crushed petioles and leaf veins. They say about the tree of travelers that it gives not only moisture to the thirsty, but also shelter to the poor.

Everyone knows aromatic products that have been used since ancient times as a seasoning for dishes - cloves, cinnamon, vanilla and many others. We saw in the Botanical Garden all the plants that give these substances.

Cinnamon tree (Cynnamomum seylanica from the laurel family) reaches 20–22 meters in height and up to 1 meter in diameter.

To obtain cinnamon, thin branches are cut and the bark is torn off from them, which contains those odorous substances that are valued by culinary specialists.

The clove tree (Eugenia aromatica from the myrtle family) is also large; its leaves are shiny, leathery, oval-lanceolate. The leaf shape - with a strongly drawn end - is typically tropical. Rain water easily flows from such a sheet. The flowers are collected in a dense inflorescence, their petals are small and inconspicuous, but the ovary has that delicate aroma that has attracted the attention of man since ancient times. This is the "carnation". Buds and flowers that have just begun to bloom with a young ovary are collected, dried and put on sale as a spice.

Vanilla.

The birthplace of the clove tree is the Moluccas, or the Spice Islands, as they are also called. In the 17th century, the Dutch took possession of these islands. They did not allow the export of seeds or seedlings of the clove tree and had a monopoly trade in cloves for a century. In the XVIII century, the French, and then the British, managed to organize clove tree plantations in their tropical colonies. The Dutch monopoly was broken, and the collection of cloves in English Zanzibar alone far exceeded that of the Moluccas.

There is another tree native to the Antilles - pimenta da Jamaica (Pimenta officinalis from the myrtle family), whose leaves contain an essential oil with a clove aroma.

Ravenala is a plant of the strelitzia family. Banana is considered its distant relative. However, unlike him, Ravenala has a trunk, sometimes reaching a height of 10 m. Large leaves grow directly from the trunk and are fan-shaped. Due to this, the crown of the Ravenals is often compared with a fan or a peacock's tail.

Water accumulates in the stems and leaves of the plant, rolled up in tubules. On average, it can contain up to 25 liters. It is believed that it is because of this property that the plant was nicknamed the "traveler's tree". A tired traveler can always quench his thirst with the help of Ravenala. If you make a small incision in the stem, water will flow from the hole, like from a tap. Indeed, sometimes the moisture from the tree is used for drinking. However, it is recommended to do this in extreme cases. The fact is that insects, their larvae and even small animals get into this water. One can only guess what microbes and bacteria are in such moisture.

Another feature of Ravenala, which helps travelers on the road, is that its crown grows strictly from west to east. This allows tourists to navigate the terrain, determine the cardinal directions and not go astray.

The inhabitants of Madagascar found wide application of the plant. They use the trunk and leaves as building material and roofing houses. Dry trees serve as fuel. Ravenala is also used to make plates, cutlery, tablecloths. And the trunks are adapted for water vessels. Young leaves and fruits of the plant are edible. Ravenala leaves are believed to be rich in calcium oxalate and silica. By useful properties, they can be compared with sorrel and spinach.

Ravenala as a houseplant

Ravenala is the national symbol of the island of Madagascar. It is also considered one of the most beautiful trees on the planet. Due to this, ravinala can often be found in greenhouses, winter gardens and in home collections of amateur flower growers. The plant is unpretentious, easily propagated by seeds.

If you decide to plant an exotic tree at home, soak the seeds in warm water for a couple of days. And then lower into the pre-prepared soil no more than 2 cm deep. The soil should consist of sand, peat and leafy soil. Ravenala is a thermophilic plant, therefore the temperature in the room should be at least 25 ° C. Shoots will appear in about 3 months.

Ravenala loves light, so the plant must be kept on the sunny side. It is recommended to replant the tree annually, and when it reaches a large size, regularly change the topsoil, and also feed it with palm fertilizers. With proper care and feeding, Ravenala will delight you all year round not only with its exotic appearance, but also with beautiful flowers.

Palm - fan March 12th, 2016

As I remember, I was surprised, but now I also saw an unusual palm tree.

The birthplace of Ravenala, as you might guess, is Madagascar. The inhabitants of the island have chosen this plant as their national symbol, and now it flaunts even on planes of Madagascar airlines.

Ravenala Madagascar belongs to the monotypic genus of the Strelitzaceae family. That is, this plant has no immediate relatives and is, in fact, a shrub with a single trunk. A banana can be attributed to its distant relatives, but its leaves grow directly from the ground, unlike the Madagascar revenala. This plant is very decorative and invariably attracts attention.

Photo 2.

Ravenala has a squat, straight trunk, from the top of which huge leaves grow like a fan. The crown of the tree resembles a fan or loose peacock's tail. In the "fan" of Ravenala there are up to thirty leaves. In young plants, the trunk is hidden underground, in adults it can be up to four meters in height. And the leaves of Ravenala are much longer - up to seven meters. Their edges are frayed and torn by the wind, which gives the Ravenale a very colorful look.

Photo 3.

The long cuttings of the Ravenal leaves are rolled up into tubules in which water accumulates. The significance of this moisture in the life of the plant itself has not yet been clarified, but one tree can accumulate two or three buckets of water.It is believed that Ravenala Madagascar was called the tree of travelers for this very reason: supposedly, a tired traveler can quench his thirst with it.

However, it is hard to believe in this, since the water in the leaves of Ravenala is far from clean, it has an unpleasant odor. Microorganisms teem in it, you can also find small amphibians ... Unless a traveler dying of thirst is seduced by such a drink. But there is another explanation for the name: the equals growing in nature have crowns oriented strictly from the west to the East.

Photo 4.

This feature of the plant can really help the traveler with the definition of cardinal points.

There is no system of vessels in the trunk of the revenala, as is usual for trees, such vessels have only the roots of the plant. The fan tree can bloom almost all year round, its small creamy white flowers form long inflorescences, looking out from the axils of the leaves. The fruits are brown oblong boxes in which the seeds ripen, wrapped in blue flyers. When birds eat the seeds, these wrappers in their stomachs wear off. And the seeds themselves then come out and germinate perfectly thanks to this treatment.

Photo 5.

Ravenala is found not only in Madagascar, it also grows in Panama. In addition, the plant can often be found in botanical gardens and greenhouses, as gardeners highly value it for its decorative effect and unpretentiousness.

Photo 6.

Photo 7.

The birthplace of Ravenala, as you might guess, is Madagascar. The inhabitants of the island have chosen this plant as their national symbol, and now it flaunts even on planes of Madagascar airlines.

Ravenala Madagascar belongs to the monotypic genus of the Strelitzaceae family. That is, this plant has no immediate relatives and is, in fact, a shrub with a single trunk. A banana can be attributed to its distant relatives, but its leaves grow directly from the ground, unlike the Madagascar revenala. This plant is very decorative and invariably attracts attention.

Ravenala has a squat, straight trunk, from the top of which huge leaves grow like a fan. The crown of the tree resembles a fan or loose peacock's tail. In the "fan" of Ravenala there are up to thirty leaves. In young plants, the trunk is hidden underground, in adults it can be up to four meters in height. And the leaves of Ravenala are much longer - up to seven meters. Their edges are frayed and torn by the wind, which gives the Ravenale a very colorful look.

The long cuttings of the Ravenal leaves are rolled up into tubules in which water accumulates. The significance of this moisture in the life of the plant itself has not yet been clarified, but one tree can accumulate two or three buckets of water. It is believed that Ravenala Madagascar was called the tree of travelers for this very reason: supposedly, a tired traveler can quench his thirst with it.

However, it is hard to believe in this, since the water in the leaves of Ravenala is far from clean, it has an unpleasant odor. Microorganisms teem in it, you can also find small amphibians ... Unless a traveler dying of thirst is seduced by such a drink. But there is another explanation for the name: the equals growing in nature have crowns oriented strictly from west to east.

This feature of the plant can really help the traveler with the definition of cardinal points.

There is no system of vessels in the trunk of the revenala, as is usual for trees, such vessels have only the roots of the plant. The fan tree can bloom almost all year round, its small creamy white flowers form long inflorescences, looking out from the axils of the leaves. The fruits are brown oblong boxes in which the seeds ripen, wrapped in blue "flies". When birds eat the seeds, these wrappers in their stomachs wear off. And the seeds themselves then come out and germinate perfectly thanks to this treatment.

Ravenala is found not only in Madagascar, it also grows in Panama. In addition, the plant can often be found in botanical gardens and greenhouses, as gardeners highly value it for its decorative effect and unpretentiousness.

Scientific classification:
Domain: Eukaryotes
Kingdom: Plants
The Department: Flowering
Class: Monocots
Order: Ginger color
Family: Strelitzaceae
Genus: Ravenala (lat. Ravenala (Adans., 1763))

Traveler Tree(Ravenala madagascariensis), a tree plant in the banana family. Trunk height up to 10 m; the leaves are large, torn to the midrib into lobes, fan-shaped. The long leaf sheaths store water, which is sometimes used for drinking (hence the name). Flowers collected in spike-shaped inflorescences are pollinated by birds. The fruit is a berry, similar in shape to a cucumber. Endemic to the islands of Madagascar and Reunion.

ill. to Art. Traveler tree.

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