Dypsis lucens (Jum.) Beentje & J.Dransf., Palms Madagascar : 315 (1995)

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Introduction

  • Only known from the type, which consists of loose pieces of leaf and a few rachillae. These are nevertheless enough to distinguish it from other taxa. The name is Latin for 'shiny', and this presumably refers to the leaf when it is fresh. (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 the type: 'Antongil Bay area'. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Discussion

  • There is a bit of a mystery regarding the pistillate flowers; Jumelle gives a brief, non-committal description in the protologue which could refer to any pistillate flower in the Dypsidinae, but there is none on the type. The specimen has the appearance of D. concinna, with an unbranched inflorescence, but there is no petiole. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Biology And Ecology

  • Rain forest; c. 400 m. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Conservation

  • Probably extinct; not seen since the type was collected over eighty years ago. (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

  • Palm up to 60 cm. STEM 0.7-1 cm diam. LEAVES c.10; sheath 6.5-7.5 cm long, 1-1.2 cm diam., partly open, red-brown, covered in small dark red-brown scales; petiole absent; lamina entire, shiny, narrowly triangular, 25-30 cm long, midrib 17-19 cm, lobed for 8-12 cm, the lobes 2.4-3.7 cm wide, the apices 5-10 mm wide and toothed, also toothed along the upper outer margins, adaxially with c. 9 prominent veins, abaxially covered in many small scales, intermixed with 2-5 mm long ramenta on the main veins. INFLORESCENCE 44-47 cm long, unbranched; peduncle 23-27 cm long, 1.5-2 mm diam., with a few minute scales; prophyll 8-11 cm long, 5-6 mm wide, borne at 0.5-3 cm above the base of the peduncle, opening near the apex only for c. 1 cm, with scattered scales; peduncular bract inserted at 5-8 cm from the base of the peduncle, 13-15 cm long, split for the distal 1 cm, with scattered scales; non-tubular bracts 2, 2-2.5 mm long; rachilla 23-24 cm long, 1-1.5 mm diam., glabrous; triads distant, the rachilla bract small and triangular. STAMINATE FLOWERS only known from an early bud stage; sepals 1.4-1.7 x 1-1.3 mm, ciliolate; petals 2.1-2.4 x 1.2 mm; stamens 6, biseriate (offset 0.2 mm), filaments c. 0.5 mm, anthers 0.5-0.6 mm, still in a very tight cone, the locules parallel. PISTILLATE FLOWERS unknown. FRUIT and seed unknown. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Materials Examined

  • Maroantsetra: Antongil Bay area, Oct. 1912 (bud), Perrier 12032 (Holotype 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