Dypsis bernieriana (Baill.) Beentje & J.Dransf., Palms Madagascar : 304 (1995)

Primary tabs

A charming little palm, quite distinct by its leaf shape and open leaf sheaths. The name refers to the collector of the type, Bernier, about whom very little is known, except that he was French and collected in Madagascar around 1834. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Map uses TDWG level 3 distributions (https://github.com/tdwg/wgsrpd)

Madagascar present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B

Masoala Peninsula and down the coast to Vatomandry. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

It is probably most closely related to D. digitata. The leaf lobes are usually distinctly hooded at their tips. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Lowland to submontane rain forest, steep slope; 100-1200 m. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Vulnerable. This seems to be a rare species, and all over its distribution area the vegetation is under threat from fragmentation and agricultural conversion. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Ambosa (Betsimisaraka, fide Bernier). (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Solitary dwarf palm. STEM to 1 m tall, 6-8 mm diam. distally; internodes 2-10 mm, brown; nodal scars c. 2 mm. LEAVES entire, bifid; sheath 3.5-7 cm, open, with scattered scales (denser distally), with fibrous margins; petiole 2-21 cm, 1-1.5 mm diam., with scattered scales; lamina entire, 17-26 cm long, shiny dark green; midrib 5-7.5 cm, lobes 12-19 x 2.3-3.5 cm, main veins 5-6, with scattered scales on the major and minor veins in young leaves, but glabrescent, apex narrowly dentate with 2-3 teeth, sometimes looking acute. INFLORESCENCE unbranched; peduncle 10-16 cm long, blackish with dense pubescence; prophyll 4-12.5 cm long; peduncular bract apex to 10-20 cm from the base of the peduncle (insertion point not known); rachilla 5-15 cm long, 1-2 mm diam., with scattered reddish scales; triads distant. STAMINATE FLOWERS with sepals 1.2-1.9 x 1.4-1.8 mm, ciliolate, dotted; petals 1.6-2.8 x 1.2-1.6 mm; stamens 6, uniseriate, filaments 0.5-1.3 mm, connate for 0.2 mm, anthers 1.3-1.5 x 0.4-0.5 mm, versatile; pistillode 0.8-1.2 x 0.2-0.3 mm. PISTILLATE FLOWERS with sepals 2-2.4 x 1.5-1.8 mm, ciliolate, slightly keeled; petals 2.6-2.8 x 1.3-1.4 mm; staminodes c. 0.4 mm; gynoecium c. 2.3 x 0.8 mm. FRUIT red, ellipsoid, 6-13 x 4-5 mm; endocarp fibrous, with almost free fibres. SEED with homogeneous endosperm. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Maroantsetra: Hiaraka, Oct. 1986 (fl.), Dransfield et al. JD6364 (K, P, TAN); without precise locality, May 1975 (y.fr.), Morat 4930 (P). Soanierana-Ivongo: Titinga, anno 1834 (fl., y.fr.), Ber nier 41a (Holotype P). Vatomandry: Mt Takarandonia, Nov. 1927 (fl.), Perrier 14124 (P). Locality uncertain ("sentier plus loin que la chûte, 1200 m"), Jan. 1945 (fl.), Cours 2479 (K, P). (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

A. Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar

B. World Checklist of Arecaceae