Dypsis acuminum (Jum.) Beentje & J.Dransf., Palms Madagascar : 211 (1995)

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Introduction

  • A rare species, which may well be the same as D. onilahensis. The Latin name means 'of the peaks'. (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
N Madagascar: Manongarivo and Marojejy Mountains. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Discussion

  • The altitude on the type is indicated as 2000 m, but the highest point in the Manongarivo Mts., Antsatrotro, is 1876 m. This taxon is probably the same as D. onilahensis; only the branching pattern of the inflorescence is distinct, being much less branched in (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Biology And Ecology

  • Montane forest; alt. 700-1900 m. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Conservation

  • Unknown. Only known from a single recent collection, but it is possible this taxon occurs on more high mountains of the north, most of which are not well known botanically. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Common Name

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

Uses

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

Description

  • Solitary, moderate palm. STEMS 4-6 m tall, 8 cm diam.; internodes dark green to greyish, nodal scars forming obvious rings. LEAVES 5-6, arching, 1-1.5 m long; sheath 30-32 cm long, when flattened 8-10 cm wide, adaxially dark reddish purple, abaxially pale brown distally with scattered black scales, waxy, without ligules but with rounded shoulders; petiole 11-16 cm, proximally c. 1.2 x 0.6 cm, distally 0.8-1.3 x 0.6-0.7 cm diam., channelled with sharp edges, red-brown with blackish scales; rachis with dense to scattered blackish scales, in mid-leaf 0.6-1.2 x 0.6-0.7 cm diam.; leaflets regular, c. 30 on each side of the rachis, acuminate, proximal 35- 36 x 0.3-1 cm, median 27-39 x 1.2-1.8 cm (interval 1.5-3 cm), distal 6-30 x 0.3-1.4 cm, main veins 1, glabrous but for 3-4 scattered ramenta. INFLORESCENCE interfoliar at anthesis, infrafoliar in fruit, branched to 1 or 2 orders; peduncle 28-41 cm long, proximally c. 2 x cm, distally 1.2 x 0.6 cm, glabrous; prophyll 30-35 cm long, borne at 6-9 cm above the base of the peduncle, with scattered scales but glabrescent, open for the distal 10 cm; peduncular bract inserted at 18-20 cm from the base of the peduncle, 36-37 cm long, split over its whole length or except for the distal 3-4 cm, beaked for 3-4 cm, with dense but scattered scales; non-tubular peduncular bracts 1-1.3 cm, near the apex of the peduncle; rachis 12-34 cm, with 15-18 unbranched first order branches, in the type with one of the branches bifurcate; rachillae 10-25 cm long, 2.5-4 mm diam., glabrous, with quite dense triads, slightly sunken in pits; rachilla bract c. 2 mm long, acute to acuminate. STAMINATE FLOWERS unknown. PISTILLATE FLOWERS only known from the young fruiting stage, with the sepals 2.8- x 3-4 mm; petals 3.5-5.2 x 4-6 mm; staminodes 0.5-1 mm; gynoecium probably c. 4 mm high. FRUIT ellipsoid, 9-10 x 6-7 mm., rounded at apex; endocarp fibrous, with few anastomations. SEED ellipsoid, 8-8.5 x 5.5-6 mm, the base with a slight bump and a sub-basal depression corresponding to the embryo, the apex rounded; endosperm homogeneous. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Materials Examined

  • Ambanja: Manongarivo, probably Antsatrotro, May 1909 (y.fr.), Perrier 15801 (P, type). Andapa: Marojejy, Feb. 1989 (y.fr.), Miller & Lowry 3941 (P, TAN). (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