Difference between revisions of "Dypsis singularis"

Revision as of 13:04, 4 October 2012

• SUB CATEGORY PALMS OF MADAGASCAR

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Manombo, Madagascar. Photo by Dr. Henk Beentje, edric.

Dypsis singularis
Madagascar, photo by Bill, edric.
Scientific Classification
Genus: Dypsis Species: singularis
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
Africa
Morphology
Habit: Solitary Leaf type: Pinnate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
None.

Habitat and Distribution

Madagascar. Only known from Manombo forest. Lowland rain forest; slope base; Alt. about 45 m.

Description

Solitary palm to 6 m. STEM distally about 1.5 cm. in diam; internodes distally about 0.5 cm, nodal scars about 1 mm. LEAVES about 6 in the crown, porrect, pinnate; sheath 9-13 cm long, with scattered reddish scales which are rather dense distally, and auricles to 1 cm long; petiole 0-1.5 cm long, 3-7 x 2-3 mm. in diam., with scattered scales; rachis 40-59 cm long, in mid-leaf 2.5-4 mm wide, with tiny scattered scales; leaflets 3-7 on each side of the rachis, solitary or in groups of 2, group interval 6-16 cm, leaflet interval 0.5-0.8 cm, proximal 8-16 x 0.6-2.2 cm, median 16-25 x 1.5-5 cm, distal 14-19 x 3.5-6 cm, main veins 3-5 (but faint), up to 7 in the distal pair, with scattered scales on the major and minor veins, distal pair joined for 4-8 cm, dentate over a width of 0.5-1.7 cm. INFLORESCENCE interfoliar, branched to 2 orders; peduncle 51-61 cm long, 2.5-3 mm. in diam., glabrous; prophyll 29-37 cm long, 8-18 mm wide, borne at 4-10 cm above the base of the peduncle, open in the distal 1.5-4 cm with scattered scales; peduncular bract inserted at 18-20 cm from the base of the peduncle, 36-41 cm long, open in the distal 3.5-5 cm, with scattered scales; rachis 37-69 cm long, glabrous, with 13-23 branched and 15-23 unbranched first order branches, the proximal to 12.5 cm long and with up to 7 rachillae; rachillae 5-19 cm long, 1 mm. in diam., glabrous. STAMINATE FLOWERS in young bud with sepals 0.5-0.7 x 0.5-0.8 mm; petals 0.8-1.3 x 0.7-0.8 mm; stamens 6, uni- or biseriate, didymous, filaments 0.3 mm long (and possibly connate for mm?), anthers 0.2 x 0.3 mm; pistillode c. 0.3-0.4 x 0.4 mm. PISTILLATE FLOWERS with sepals 0.6-0.7 x 0.6-1 mm; petals 1.2-1.5 x 0.9- mm; staminodes invisible; pistil 1.5-1.6 mm high, about 1.8-1.9 mm. in diam. FRUIT unknown (1995). Editing by edric.

With its few broad, connate leaflets and inflorescence branched to 2 orders it resembles D. commersoniana and D. humbertii but is distinct in the didymous anthers.

Culture

Comments and Curiosities

A handsome small palm, sadly on its way to extinction. The name indicates that it is a peculiar taxon (due to the didymous stamens on a palm of this habit), as well as the fact that it is known from a single collection from only one site. Nevertheless, it is a distinct species. (J. Dransfield and H. Beentje. 1995).

Conservation: Critical. Single-site status, in a forest being gradually destroyed by fire, shifting cultivation and logging; numbers low, estimated at less than a hundred.

External Links

• Glossary of Palm Terms
• Pronunciation Key

References

Special thanks to Geoff Stein, (Palmbob) for his hundreds of photos, edric.

Many Special Thanks to Ed Vaile for his long hours of tireless editing and numerous contributions.