Dypsis ligulata (Jum.) Beentje & J.Dransf., Palms Madagascar : 178 (1995)

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Insufficiently known species. The name refers to the 'ligule' or auricle on the leaf sheath, a character much used by Jumelle, but of doubtful value in separating species. (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

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

The protologue describes the auricles as 0.8-1.5 cm long; the petiole as 12 cm long; the proximal segments as 75-100 x 0.4-0.8 cm; inflorescence branched to 2 orders; prophyll 40 x 6 cm, with scattered scales. It also has the Sakalava name Kindro. None of these details is apparent from the Paris specimen. We are unable to comment on the affinities of this species. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Moist forest on sandstone, at low elevation. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Possibly extinct; not seen for over 70 years. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Palm-heart edible. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Solitary palm. TRUNK 4-6 m high, c. 20 cm diam., smooth, ringed. LEAVES with the sheath (fide Perrier) whitish, glabrous, with distinct, unequal, obtuse auricles; petiole not seen; rachis in mid-leaf keeled, c. 1.8 cm wide and 2.2 cm high, withscattered scales; leaflets presumably regular, the proximal not seen, median c. 120 x 2.3-2.5 cm (interval 3.5-4 cm), distal 23-42 x 0.5-1.4 cm, the terminal pair joined for c. 6 cm, main veins 1 (-3), with thickened margins, with scattered red ramenta 2-4 mm long on the proximal part of the midrib, otherwise glabrous, apices unequally attenuate, bifid. INFLORESCENCE branched to 2 orders; the only first order branch seen with a secondary rachis 27 cm long, proximally 1.2 x 0.6 cm, glabrous, with 17 rachillae; rachillae 24-34 cm long, 2-2.5 mm diam., with distant slightly sunken triads, the rachilla bracts small and rounded. STAMINATE FLOWERS not seen. PISTILLATE FLOWERS not seen; in fruit the persistent sepals 1.8-2.2 x 2.5-2.8 mm, petals 3.2-3.6 x 3.8-4.1 mm; staminodes 0.6-0.7 mm, flat. FRUIT yellowish, ellipsoid, 12-16 x 7-8.5 mm, with an obtuse apex; endocarp fibrous, the fibres anastomosing. SEED ellipsoid, c. 13 x 7.5-8 mm, pointed at the base, obtuse at the apex, with a sub-aequatorial depression; endosperm ruminate, the ruminations few, distant, 1-2 mm deep. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Ambilobe: Belinta, Feb. 1923 (fr.), Perrier 15414 (Holotype 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