Traveler's Palm
Ravenala madagascariensis
Photographed in a suburban Nairobi garden, Kenya. December 2011.
From
Wikipedia: This easily recognized plant has been given the name
"traveler's palm" because the sheaths of the stems hold rainwater, which
supposedly could be used as an emergency drinking supply for needy travelers.
Another plausible reason for its name is that the fan tends to grow in an
east-west line, providing a crude compass. The enormous paddle-shaped leaves
are borne on long petioles, in a distinctive fan shape aligned in a single
plane. The large white flowers are structurally similar to those of its
relatives, the bird-of-paradise flowers. In tropical and subtropical regions,
the plant is widely cultivated for its distinctive habit and foliage. Ravenala
is native to the island of Madagascar.