raffia

n. species of palm tree; fiber from this palm tree (used in basket weaving and other arts and crafts)

The Raffia palms (Raphia) are a genus of 20 species of palms, native to tropical regions of Africa, Madagascar, with one species (R. taedigera) also occurring in Central and South America. They grow up to 16 m tall, and are remarkable for their compound pinnate leaves, the longest in the plant kingdom; leaves of R. regalis up to 19.81 m long [1] and 3m wide are known. The plants are either monocarpic, flowering once and then dying after the seeds are mature, or hapaxanthic, with individual stems dying after fruiting but the root system remaining alive and sending up new stems.
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Noun
1. feather palm of tropical Africa and Madagascar and Central and South America widely grown for commercial purposes
(synonym) genus Raffia, Raphia, genus Raphia
(hypernym) monocot genus, liliopsid genus
(member-holonym) Palmae, family Palmae, Palmaceae, family Palmaceae, Arecaceae, family Arecaceae, palm family
(member-meronym) raffia palm, Raffia farinifera, Raffia ruffia

Noun
1. leaf fibers of the raffia palm tree; used to make baskets and mats etc.
(synonym) raphia
(hypernym) plant fiber, plant fibre
2. fiber of a raffia palm used as light cordage and in making hats and baskets
(hypernym) fiber, fibre
(substance-holonym) raffia palm, Raffia farinifera, Raffia ruffia

n. bast, layer of sap carrying cells; strong fibers

n. raffia