Excellent soil builder. Ravenala madagascariensis.
İt has been granted the name “traveller’s palm” because the sheaths of the stems hold rainwater, which supposedly could be used as an emergency drinking supply for needy travellers. However, the water inside the plant is murky, black and smelly and should not be consumed without purification Another plausible reason for its name is that the fan tends to grow on an east-west line, providing a crude compass.
