Dypsis psammophila Beentje, Palms Madagascar : 216 (1995)

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Introduction

  • Another species close to D. lutescens, but much more slender with spindly stems towering above the coastal bush. The name means 'sand-loving', since this taxon is restricted to coastal white sands. (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
E Madagascar, between Soanierana- Ivongo and Ambila-Lemaitso. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Diagnosis

  • D. lutescens affinissima sed caulis gracilioribus nigris, vagina folii breviore, foliolis brevioribus angustioribus, inflorescentia in 2 ordines ramificanti differt. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Biology And Ecology

  • Coastal forest on white sand; alt. 5 m. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Conservation

  • Critical. The distribution area is small, and over the whole area the habitat is being destroyed. Numbers are estimated at less than a hundred. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Common Name

  • Not recorded. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Uses

  • Not recorded. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Description

  • Clustering palm. STEMS to 4 (-6) m, 3 cm diam., 1.7 cm diam. near crown; bark tending to be black, internodes c. 15 cm near base, 1.2-1.8 cm near crown; crownshaft 40 cm, green with white wax. LEAVES arcuate, c. 2 m; sheath 27-30 cm, with dense scattered scales, no ligule; petiole 20 cm, proximally 0.5 x 0.45 cm, distally 0.5 x 0.4 cm diam., with minute scales; rachis c. 76 cm long, with densely scattered scales; leaflets c. 40 on each side of the rachis, regular, strongly curved, proximal 27-41 x 0.3-0.8 cm, median 36-37 x 0.7-0.9 cm, distal 8.5-37 x 0.2-0.9 cm, adaxially glaucous, main vein 1, ramenta few or sometimes 0-1, basal, otherwise glabrous, apex attenuate, unequally bifid. INFLORESCENCE branching to 2 orders; peduncle 31 cm, with non-sheathing peduncular bracts (10-12 mm) at 26 and 29 cm above the base of the peduncle; prophyll 21-2 cm; peduncular bract 41 cm (from base of peduncle, not insertion point), glabrous; rachis c. 13 cm, 7 x 4 mm diam. proximally; narrowly triangular, 7 mm; rachillae 13-18 cm, with bare basal part 1.5-2 mm diam., glabrous, with triads distant and in slight pits; on the Onive R., April 1971, fr., Moore 9920 at P) seems intermediate between this taxon and D. onilahensis. It occurs in low canopy rain forest, has the inflorescence and fruit of the former, but the leaves resemble those of the latter - although admittedly on the short side. It has no petiole. The habit is also more like onilahensis, with a solitary trunk c. 10 m high and 7.5 cm in diameter. The local name was lafazovombona. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Materials Examined

  • Ampasimanolotra: 5km S of Ambila-Lemaitso, Nov. 1986 (bud), Dransfield JD6437 (K, TAN); idem, March 1988 (fr.), Dransfield et al. JD6495 (K, TAN; type). (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