Dypsis hiarakae
Dypsis (DIP-sis) hiarakae (hee-ah-RAH-keh) | |||||||
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Hilo, Hawaii. Photo by Timothy Brian. | |||||||
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Contents
Habitat and Distribution
Madagascar; Manongarivo, Masoala and Mananara Avaratra. Lowland to submontane rain forest; ridgetop or flat slope; alt. 240-600 m.Description
Solitary palm. STEM 3-6 m, 1.2-2.5 cm in diam., sometimes stilt-root-ed at the base; internodes 1.5-6 cm long, pale green, ± glabrous. LEAVES 7-9 in the crown, arching, pinnate; sheath 18-22 cm long, 2/3 closed, pale green with few scattered scales, denser distally, with ragged margins; petiole 15-17 cm long, 5-8 x 2-4 mm in diam., adaxially flat, with scattered brown scales; rachis 35-67 cm long, in mid-leaf 2-4 mm wide, with scattered scales; leaflets 12-21 on each side of the rachis, in groups of 2-5, slightly fanned, the group interval 5-12 cm, leaflet interval 0.5-0.9 cm, the proximal 18-24 x 0.3-0.9 cm, median 15-31 x 1.5-5 cm, distal 10-25 x 1.3-4.5 cm, main veins 1-3 (in the distal pair 3-5), with scattered scales on the major and minor veins, and sometimes with long ramenta, apices attenuate, distal pair joined for 1-5 cm, with the apices dentate over a width of 5-10 mm. INFLORESCENCE infrafoliar, branched to 2 (rarely 3) orders, erect with numerous arching to hanging rachillae; peduncle 7-37 cm long, proximally about 12 x 4 mm, distally 3-6 x 3.5-5 mm, densely scaly; prophyll 10-19 cm long, 8-12 mm wide, borne at 1-4 cm above the base of the peduncle, with scattered scales, open in the distal 1-3.5 cm; peduncular bract inserted at 9-14 cm from the base of the peduncle, 14-26 cm long, open for most of its length, beaked for 3 cm, glabrous, rapidly deciduous; rachis 7.5-17 cm long, glabrous or nearly so with 7-10 branched and 5-8 unbranched first order branches, the proximal of these with an axis of up to 7 cm with up to 6 rachillae; rachillae 17-27 cm long, 1-2 mm in diam., glabrous to puberulous. STAMINATE FLOWERS with sepals 1-1.2 x 1-1.2 mm; petals 2.8-3 x 1.5-2 mm; stamens 6, biseriate, filaments about 1 mm, anthers 1.3-1.5 x 0.6 mm, parallel and dorsifixed; pistillode about 1 mm. PISTILLATE FLOWERS with sepals 0.9-1.4 x 0.6-1.5 mm; petals 1.5-2.1 x 1.6-2.4 mm; staminodes 6, 0.3-0.5 mm. FRUIT red, ellipsoid with a rounded apex, about 9 x 5 mm. SEED 6.5-7 x 3.5 mm, obtuse at both ends, with homogeneous endosperm. (J. Dransfield and H. Beentje. 1995)/Palmweb. Editing by edric.
NOTE: This species seems closest to D. confusa, but is distinct in the long rachillae. (J. Dransfield and H. Beentje. 1995)/Palmweb.
Culture
Cold Hardiness Zone: 10a
Comments and Curiosities
A slightly nondescript medium-sized palm from rain forest in the north. The name refers to a village on the west coast of Masoala. (J. Dransfield and H. Beentje. 1995)/Palmweb.
Uses: Stems used to make blowpipes for poison darts, in Manongarivo.
Conservation: Rare, possibly vulnerable. Numbers are probably less than a few hundred. (J. Dransfield and H. Beentje. 1995)/Palmweb.
External Links
References
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).
Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995. The Palms of Madagascar. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and The International Palm Society.
Many Special Thanks to Ed Vaile for his long hours of tireless editing and numerous contributions.