Completed By: Robert Crawford
Rain Forest Land Habitats School Site
St. Joseph's Intermediate "Exploring Land Habitats" Project
Traveler's tree is a evergreen that resembles a giant fan. These
trees grow more than 40 feet tall
and have huge, oblong leaves up to 10 feet long. The leaves spread
out in a single row from an
unbranched trunk. A deep trough at the base of each leaf collects up
to 1 quart of rain water.
Travelers can drink this water in an emergency.
The traveler's tree grows wild in Madagascar, an African island country.
People use the trunk for
wood and the leaves as roofing material.
Scientific classification. The traveler's tree belongs to the
family Strelitziaceae. Its scientific
name is Ravenala madagascariensis.
The traveler's tree, or traveler's palm, is the most distinctive palm
species in the world and is
one of many plants native only to the island of Madagascar. The basses
the giant leaf stalks
are reservoirs for rain water source of refreshment for thirsty travelers.
This '' tree'' is
actually an herd the trunk concentric of consists leaf bases that are
pressed together
and eventually become woody.
Completed By: Robert Crawford