Dypsis pusilla Beentje, Palms Madagascar : 370 (1995)

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Introduction

  • This is the smallest species of the "Vonitra" group. It is an attractive palm of the undergrowth in valley bottoms. The stems are almost always unbranched, and often solitary, and densely clothed with very short piassava. It can be distinguished from other species in the group by the short usually unbranched stems, the short piassava, the delicate curving leaflets and the inflorescence that is branched to one order only. Its rather dainty appearance is reflected in the species name. As far as we know, this species is not in cultivation, but it would clearly be an attractive subject for a small garden. (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
Masoala Peninsula and Mananara Biosphere Reserve. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Discussion

  • Distinct by its small stature, its trunk which rarely branches and its short inflorescence branched to only one order; only very few inflorescences are present at the same time, which is unusual in the Vonitra group. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Diagnosis

  • D. fibrosae affinis insignis statura pusilla, trunco raro ramificanti, inflorescentia brevi semel ramificanti. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Biology And Ecology

  • Littoral forest on deep humus near the beach, riverine in moist forest, or on humus banks in moist forest on steep hillside; 1-220 m. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Conservation

  • Vulnerable. With a fairly small distribution area and low numbers of individuals per population, this species might move into the Endangered category in the near future, if shifting cultivation continues apace in its native habitat. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Common Name

  • Vonitra (Betsimisaraka). (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 or clustered palm. STEM 0.8-2 m, usually unbranched, sometimes dichotomous; bare stem 4-5 cm diam., but usually covered with very thick layer of persistent fibrous leafbases and then c. 12 cm diam.; fibres coarse, short, not pendulous. Trunk with basal surface roots and occasionally with aerial roots at 40-50 cm from ground; bark brown, internodes 3-10 mm long. LEAVES 15-16 in the crown, up to 2 m long, porrect with arching rachis; sheath 22-26 x 6-7.5 cm, with rather dense red or blackish laciniate scales, auricles (up to 5 cm long) and margins disintegrating quickly; petiole 75-100 cm long, c. 1 x 0.6 cm (proximal), x 0.6 x 0.4-0.5 cm (distal), flattened or slightly convex adaxially, convex to keeled abaxially, green to purplish with dense red laciniate scales; rachis 78-94 cm, in mid-leaf 3-4 mm wide, angular, with scattered scales; leaflets 25-28 on each side of the rachis, stiff, proximally at an angle of 90° with the leaflets on the opposite side of the rachis, more distal in one plane, regular, glossy dark green, proximal ones 19-41 x 0.3-2.5 cm (most proximal ones short and narrow), median 38-51 x 1.8-3.2 (interval 2.5-3 cm), distal 13-31 x 0.8-2.5 cm, the apical pair hardly connate, apices attenuate and bifid, main veins 3, with the midrib prominent adaxially, leaflets glabrous or with a few scattered scales near the base. INFLORESCENCE interfoliar, erect, branching to one order (in Beentje 4651 with the most proximal rachilla bifurcate); peduncle 47-132 cm, proximally 5-6 x 4 mm, distally 3- 5 x 2-4 mm, with dense reddish laciniate scales but soon glabrescent; prophyll 10-34 cm long, 2-keeled, with a few scattered reddish scales, cylindrical, split at apex only, soon disintegrating at the apex; peduncular bract inserted at 7-14 cm from base, 30-48 cm long, pale brown with patches of dense reddish scales, circumscissile but carried up and covering the rachillae until expansion, beaked for 9-10 cm; rachis 7- 15 cm, with 17-22 branches; rachillae green, occasionally with a bulbous base, 12-32 cm long, 2-2.5 mm diam., covered in minute stellate scales; triads spirally arranged, quite close, in pits. STAMINATE FLOWERS globose in bud; sepals 0.6-1 x 1-1.3 mm; petals 1.7-1.8 x 1.2-1.5 mm, ovate, acute; stamens 6, in 2 series, didymous, filaments 0.4-0.8 mm long, anthers 0.4-0.5 x 0.5-0.6 mm, rounded; pistillode 0.2-0.9 x 0.4-1 mm, hexagonal with central trifid apex. PISTILLATE FLOWERS with sepals c. 0.5 mm high, 1 mm wide, petals 1.4 -1.8 x 1.2-1.3 mm; ovary 1-1.4 mm high, 1.1-1.2 mm diam., slightly asymmetrical; staminodes 0.3 mm high. FRUIT purple to black, obovoid, rounded, 13-19 x 9-15 mm; mesocarp 1.2 mm thick, rather fleshy; endocarp fibrous. SEED 15-16 x 9-12 mm, with endosperm ruminations 3-4 mm deep. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Materials Examined

  • Maroantsetra: Antalavia, Feb. 1988 (y.fr.), Dransfield et al. JD6467 (K, TAN); idem, Feb. 1988 (y.fr.), Dransfield et al. JD6474 (K, P, TAN); Ambanizana, Nov. 1992 (bud, fr.), Schatz et al. 3394 (K). Mananara Avaratra: Antanambe, Oct. 1991 (bud), Beentje 4461 (K, MO, P, TAN); idem, Oct. 1991 (fr.), Beentje 4468 (BH, K, TAN); idem, April 1992 (fr.), Beentje et al. 4651 (K, TAN). 1 (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