Possible Clues:

• Palm tree of Africa and Madagascar (6)
• Affair (anag.)
• Defender on high crosses first to flick one with a palm
• Service starts from font, incumbent allocating palm leaves
• Backward area provided much fibrous material
• Fibre from palm tree, used to make mats
• Strange affair of a Madagascan basket-maker
• If far back to start with, a proper bind
• The sort of affair that may become quite a bind
• Fibre plastic fair chokes a fellow