Difference between revisions of "Dypsis angustifolia"

Revision as of 01:49, 8 October 2012

• SUB CATEGORY PALMS OF MADAGASCAR

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Madagascar. Photo by Dr. John Dransfield, edric.

Dypsis augustifolia
Madagascar. Photo by Dr. John Dransfield, edric.
Scientific Classification
Genus: Dypsis Species: augustifolia
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
Africa
Morphology
Habit: Clustering Leaf type: Bifid
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
butterfly palm

Habitat and Distribution

Endemic to Madagascar. Central part of East Coast lowlands, Betampona and environs, northeast of Toamasina. Lowland rain forest; 400-500 m.

Description

Slender, clustering palm of the undergrowth. STEMS to 1 m. tall, 6-10 mm in diam., internodes 12-25 mm in diam., bearing scattered brown scales. LEAVES 6-7 in crown; sheaths 9-12 x 0.8 cm., tardily abscising, ± marcescent, striate, with scattered punctiform scales, auricles small, membranous, soon tattering; petiole 4-23 cm., about 2 mm. wide, ± triangular in cross section; blade entire bifid, distinctly plicate on drying, 28-50 cm, deeply cleft to about three quarters of the overall length, the two lobes 20-40 x 1.5-3 cm., occasionally one lobe further divided into 2 narrow leaflets, segment tips shallowly lobed, adaxially with scattered punctiform scales, abaxially paler and with abundant brown punctiform scales. INFLORESCENCES interfoliar, erect or curved, branched to 1 order only; peduncle 15-32 cm. long, about 1-2 mm in diam., sparsely covered with red scales in exposed portion; prophyll 10-25 x 0.5 cm., membranous, sparsely scaly; peduncular bract inserted far above and exceeding the prophyll by 5.5-9 cm., otherwise similar; rachis 3.5-10 cm., densely brown hairy; rachillae 5-9, inserted at right angles, 1-3 cm. long, about 2 mm in diam.; rachilla bracts inconspicuous, about 0.5 x 1 mm., almost entirely obscured by dense red-brown hairs. STAMINATE FLOWER buds about 1 mm in diam., spherical; sepals 3, free, imbricate, rounded, about 0.6 mm in diam., striate, irregularly cleft at margin; petals ± free, longitudinally striate, broad triangular, valvate, 0.8 mm. long, 0.8 mm. wide at the very base; stamens 3 antesepalous, filaments united in a ring 0.2 mm high, free part 0.2 mm long, anthers didymous, about 0.2 x 0.1 mm, introrse; pistillode conical, minute. PISTILLATE FLOWERS globular; sepals broad, imbricate, 1 x 1 mm., margins erose; petals striate, valvate at tips, irregularly imbricate at base, about 1.5 x 1.5 mm.; staminodes 3, minute; ovary about 1 mm in diam. FRUIT, not examined. Editing by edric.

This species is closely related to D. zahamenae from which it can be distinguished by the blade being narrow, and divided to three quarters rather than one third of its length, by the inflorescence rachis, being usually more elongate with more distant rachillae, by the rachilla bracts being inconspicuous and, almost entirely obscured by hairs, rather than being large and conspicuous, and by the staminate flower buds being rounded rather than pointed, with striate rather than smooth shining petals. In all but one collection (one of the two specimens collected under Beentje 4494) there is a well developed long petiole, whereas in D. zahamenae the petiole is usually very short or absent. Previously considered to be a variety of D. humbertii (= D. zahamenae) we consider it to be sufficiently distinct to be elevated to a specific rank. (J. Dransfield and H. Beentje. 1995)

Culture

Comments and Curiosities

Dypsis angustifolia--- The common form with thin entire bifid leaves is the type the species was named after, which always has a green new leaf. This species has an inflorescence simular to that of some of the Calyptrocalyx being that it can have up to what looks like 4 sperate peduncle/rachilla emerging from behind each leaf sheath which are joined at the base of the inflorescence, like what is seen in some of the calyptrocalyx species. It's a very easy species to grow and has quite thick leaves so it would probably tolerate colder conditions than it receives here with temps down to 2 to 3C, and still looks like it is actively growing, this plant is quite old so they do not take up much room and could be grown as an indoor potted plant for most of it's life in the right conditions with out any problems, much like a Chamaedorea palm. Dypsis angustifolia broad leaf form, which does not live up to it's name..!

Now here is a Palm that has been sold under the Name Dypsis louvelii, there are a few species that as seedlings it's very hard to impossible to tell apart from Dypsis louvelii, the first is Dypsis Pulchella with this species even when they are mature it's near impossible to tell this species from louvelii unless you look at the flowers and the stamens, then you have Dypsis mocquerysana these look very simular as small plants as well. Then we have Dypsis angustifolia this seems to have at least two forms the thin leaf form as listed in Palms of Madagascar and a broader leaf form, which can have a reddish new leaf as well...! This is what has been sold as Louvelii in the last few years so you just might want to check your plants, unfortunately you will not be able to tell that it's not Louvelii until they start to clump, and then once they flower you can be 100% sure of what you have, so i will list some photos here of the inflorescence of Dypsis angustifolia and some of the habitat photos of the mature plants so all can see what these plants are going to grow into, not all of these will have new reddish new leaves but they will all clump and they do all look to be this broader leaf form. (J. Dransfield and H. Beentje. 1995).

A diminutive palm of the forest undergrowth, known from Betampona and environs northeast of Toamasina. This is one of three species of Dypsis that have highly condensed inflorescences with very short fat flower-bearing branches that appear almost catkin-like. The species name is Latin for having narrow leaves.

Conservation: Endangered; occurring in two sites in low numbers. (J. Dransfield and H. Beentje. 1995)

External Links

• Glossary of Palm Terms
• Pronunciation Key
• Utopia Palms & Cycads, GREAT PHOTOS!

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.