Dypsis mahia
Dypsis (DIP-sis) mahia (mah-HEE-ah) | |||||||
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Manombo, Farafangana, Madagascar. Photo by Dr. Mijoro Rakotoarinivo/Palmweb. | |||||||
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Contents
Habitat and Distribution
Manombo, Madagascar; only known from the type. Lowland rain forest on thin humus layer over rocky soil; about 60 m. ele. (J. Dransfield & H. Beentje, The Palms of Madagascar. 1995)/Palmweb.Description
Solitary or with paired stems. STEMS to 60 cm, about 6 mm in diam; internodes 3-6 mm, glabrous; nodal scars 1-2 mm. LEAVES 8-10 in the crown, entire; sheath 5-5.5 cm long, the outer open, the inner closed, pale brown with scattered reddish scales distally, with laciniate edges, without auricles; petiole 5.5-7 cm long, 2-2.5 mm wide, with scattered scales; lamina entire, 34-38 cm long, connate for 5-7 cm, lobed for 80-85 %, the lobes 1.1-1.8 cm wide; main veins 5, with few small reddish scales; apices long-acumi-nate, not dentate. INFLORESCENCE interfoliar, erect, branched to 1 order; peduncle 15 -16 cm long, 1.5-2 mm in diam., glabrous; prophyll 11-11.5 cm long, open in the distal 1 cm, with few scattered scales; peduncular bract inserted at about 8 cm from the base of the peduncle, about 10.5 cm long, open in the distal 4.5 cm, with few scattered scales; rachis about 6 cm long, glabrous, with 12 rachillae; rachillae porrect, 3-5 cm long, 0.6 mm in diam., glabrous. STAMINATE FLOWERS yellow in bud, with sepals 0.5-0.6 x 0.5-0.7 mm; petals 0.7-0.9 x 0.8 mm; stamens 6, uniseriate?, the filaments connate at the base, 0.4 mm long and thin, anthers 0.4 x 0.3 mm, AB dorsifixed, slighttly sagittate. PISTILLATE FLOWERS not seen. FRUIT not seen. (J. Dransfield & H. Beentje, The Palms of Madagascar. 1995)/Palmweb. Editing by edric.
D. mahia has stems and sheaths reminiscent of D. bernierana, but is otherwise very different and does not really resemble any other species. (J. Dransfield & H. Beentje, The Palms of Madagascar. 1995)/Palmweb.
Culture
Cold Hardiness Zone: 10a
Comments and Curiosities
This is a very small species with pencil-thin stems. The small, entire leaves with long lobes are very distinct. Mahia is Malagasy for 'slender' and refers to the very slender lobes of the lamina which, curiously and most unusually in the genus, are acuminate rather than dentate. (J. Dransfield & H. Beentje, The Palms of Madagascar. 1995)/Palmweb.
Conservation: Critical. Known from a single site, which is slowly being destroyed by fire, shifting cultivation and logging. (J. Dransfield & H. Beentje, The Palms of Madagascar. 1995)/Palmweb.
External Links
References
Phonetic spelling of Latin names by edric.
Special thanks to Geoff Stein, (Palmbob) for his hundreds of photos.
Special thanks to Palmweb.org, Dr. John Dransfield, Dr. Bill Baker & team, for their volumes of information and photos.
Glossary of Palm Terms; Based on the glossary in Dransfield, J., N.W. Uhl, C.B. Asmussen-Lange, W.J. Baker, M.M. Harley & C.E. Lewis. 2008. Genera Palmarum - Evolution and Classification of the Palms. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. All images copyright of the artists and photographers (see images for credits).
J. Dransfield & H. Beentje, The Palms of Madagascar. 1995
Many Special Thanks to Ed Vaile for his long hours of tireless editing and numerous contributions.