- Source: Dais glaucescens
Dais glaucescens, commonly called havohoa in Malagasy, is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae that is native to central Madagascar. It was originally described by Joseph Decaisne in the Annales des Sciences Naturelles in 1843.
Description
Dais glaucescens takes the form of a shrub or small tree, growing up to 8 metres (8.7 yd) tall. The trunk can be up to 25 centimetres (9.8 in) in diameter.
Distribution and habitat
Dais glaucescens is native to the central areas of Madagascar. It is found in forests, usually near water, at elevations of roughly 1,000 metres (1,100 yd).
Uses
In Madagascar, the bark of Dais glaucescens is known as "havoa" and is used in the making of Antemoro paper. This practice of using the "beaten-bark technique" has been attributed to the Antemoro people as far back as 1661 by the French governor of Madagascar Étienne de Flacourt.
