Raphia regalis Becc.

Raphia regalis Becc. (Beccari 1910: 125) Figs 15, 16 Description. Palms reaching 20 m high, solitary to gregarious. Stipe underground. Leaves arising directly from an underground stipe, 14.70–20.37 m long. Petiole 2.80–4.34 m long; DP 30 between 6.3–9.4 cm. Rachis 11.90–16.32 m long, with two longitudinal rows of spines. Leaflets 135–175 × 5.8–8.2 cm, 2–8 in the R 0–30 area of the rachis. Inflorescence 6 per individual, erect in early stages of development then hanging, brown then green, in the axil of a bract which has a long spine which is like an acumen. Partial inflorescence developing in zig-zag, not in a straight line. Secondary branches in the axil of small and persistent bracts, 4.5–5 × 0.5 cm. Flowers green in buds then dark red when open; Calyx with 3 lobes, acuminate. Fruits broadly ellipsoid, 6–7.2 × 2.8–3 cm, light brown when immature and dark brown when mature, with a 4 (– 5) mm long beak. Ecology. Tierra firme. The species flowers and fruits in October. Distribution. Angola (Cabinda), Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo (Couvreur and Sunderland 2022; Mbandu Luzolawo et al. 2020; Mogue Kamga et al. 2019); in the Republic of the Congo: Lékoumou. IUCN conservation assessment. Raphia regalis was assessed by Cosiaux et al. (2018 e) as Least Concern (LC). Uses. The petioles are used as laths to make the framework of huts, the skeleton of hut walls and also to make the two sticks that make up the skeleton which will be combined with the detached leaflets to form thatch roofing tiles. Vernacular name. Sougou in Téké (Lékoumou). Notes. The species is easily recognized by its leaves emerging straight from the ground. We observed around 15 individuals in an area of 400 m 2 at Ingoumina. Specimen examined. Republic of the Congo. • Lékoumou. Ingoumina, 7 km from Zanaga on the road to Sibiti, 02°52.77'S, 013°52.39'E, 570 m, 1 Oct 2019, Ndolo Ebika & Harris 2751 (HICPC, E); 7 km from Zanaga on the road to Sibiti, c. 3 km NE from Ingoumina village., 02°52.77'S, 013°52.39'E, 570 m, 1 Oct 2019, Ndolo Ebika & Harris 2752 (HICPC, E); 7 km from Zanaga on the road to Sibiti, 02°52.83'S, 013°52.38'E, 570 m, 1 Oct 2019, Ndolo Ebika & Harris 2753 (HICPC, E).