Dypsis ankaizinensis (Jum.) Beentje & J.Dransf., Palms Madagascar : 182 (1995)

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Introduction

  • Yet another species of which various specimens were housed in different genera. It is still somewhat of a mystery, and it combines characters from several other species, without being quite the same as any of them. The name derives from Ankaizina, the southern foothills of Mt. Tsaratanana. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Distribution

Map uses TDWG level 3 distributions (https://github.com/tdwg/wgsrpd)
Madagascar present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B
Only known from Mt Tsaratanana. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Discussion

  • Neodypsis lobatus is clearly the same taxon, and comes from the same habitat from the same mountain. Jumelle states that in the palms from ridge crests (16227bis) the stem is twice as short as in the ones from slope forest; so is the sheath. We are uncertain about the affinities of this species. The inflorescence has the look of D. tsaravoasira, but the leaflets are grouped and, in their turn, look more like D. hovomantsina - but the leaf sheath is glabrous. This is one of those species which seem to combine features of several others. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Biology And Ecology

  • Montane forest, in moist depressions or on ridge crests; 1400-2000 m. Said to be very common. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Conservation

  • Unknown. Not seen for over seventy years, but the Tsaratanana area has not been visited by botanists for a long time. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Common Name

  • Laboka, Hovatra, Lavaboka. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Uses

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

Description

  • Solitary palm. TRUNK 10-15 m high, 15-40 cm diam. LEAVES with sheath very large, green (Perrier), distally with dense dark brown laciniate scales, with square shoulders, not very large, to c. 8.5 cm wide when flat; petiole 2-13 cm long, up to 4 cm diam., flat with sharp margins and with dense dark scales; rachis in mid-leaf 1.3-2.2 cm wide, proximally channelled, distally keeled, with scattered white hairs and reddish glands; leaflets not very stiff, the distal half pendulous, in groups of 2-4 in mid-leaf, the group interval 2.5-5 cm, the leaflet interval 0.2-0.6 cm; proximal 47-132 x 0.6-1.2 cm, median 50-72 x 1.9-2.7 cm, distal 13-33 x 0.5-2.5 cm, main vein 1, margins thickened, sometimes slightly glaucous, pale faint glands scattered on the minor veins, apices bifid, unequally attenuate or acute. INFLORESCENCE interfoliar or infrafoliar, branched to 2 orders, erect or arching; prophyll 25-30 cm long, c. 6.6 cm wide, with scattered scales, borne at 14 cm above the base of the peduncle; peduncular bract 42-70 cm long, c. 10 cm wide, with scattered scales, beaked for 2 cm, opening over its entire length; first order branches with a secondary rachis of 6-18 cm, proximally 1.2-1.8 x 0.4-0.7 cm diam., glabrous, with 6-14 rachillae; rachillae 14-25 cm long, 2.5-4 mm diam., with distant to close slightly sunk triads, rachilla bracts proud, acute. STAMINATE FLOWERS seen as densely packed buds, with sepals 2.7-3.1 x 2.5-3.3 mm; petals 2.5-2.8 x 2.2 mm; stamens 6, uniseriate, filaments c. 1 mm and thin, anthers c. 1.3 x 0.6 mm; pistillode c. 1.8 x 0.5 mm. PISTILLATE FLOWERS not seen, but fruit with persistent sepals 3-3.4 x 3.2-4 mm; petals 4.5-5.2 x 3.5-6 mm; staminodes 0.8-1 mm. FRUIT ellipsoid, 13-17 x 8.5-12 mm (to 25 x 18 mm when fresh), with a rounded apex. SEED ellipsoid, 9.5-15 x 7.5-10 mm, with pointed base and rounded apex; endosperm ruminate, the ruminations distant, 1-2 mm deep. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Materials Examined

  • Ambanja/Ambilobe/Bealanana: Mt Tsaratanana area, anno 1912 (y.fr.), Perrier 11936 (P, type); idem, April 1924 (fr.), Perrier 16227 (syntype; P); idem, April 1924 (fr.), Perrier 16227bis (syntype; P). (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Bibliography

    A. Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar
    B. World Checklist of Arecaceae