Dypsis jumelleana

Dypsis (DIP-sis) jumelleana (yoo-mehl-leh-AHN-ah)
Andasibe, Perinet, Madagascar. Photo by Dr. John Dransfield, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.
Scientific Classification
Genus: Dypsis (DIP-sis) Species: jumelleana (yoo-mehl-leh-AHN-ah)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
Africa
Morphology
Habit: Clustering Leaf type: Pinnate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
None.

Habitat and Distribution

Endemic to Madagascar. Known from Analamazaotra, and from old collections in Zahamena and

Perinet, Madagascar. Photo by Dr. John Dransfield, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.

Anjozorobe. Submontane rain forest on gentle to steep slopes; alt. 800-1300 m.

Description

Clustering palm, in tufts of 4-6. STEMS 2-4 m high, 0.5-1.5 cm in diam.; internodes 6-13 cm long, near the crown 1-4 cm, green with reddish scales, later turning brown-grey. LEAVES 3-8, spirally inserted, porrect; sheath 8-20 cm long, pale green with scattered scales, closed, sometimes with a black pre-split line edged in 4-5 mm long black fibres, without auricles or (rarely) with triangular auricles to 2.5 mm high; petiole 1.5-15 cm long, 1.5-4 x 2-2.5 mm diam., flat to slightly channelled, with scattered scales; rachis 24-56 cm long, in mid-leaf 2-3 mm wide, with scattered scales; leaflets 10-18 on each side of the rachis, in irregular groups of 2-4 (group interval 2-12 cm) or just irregular, in one plane (not fanned within the groups), folded, the proximal 8-23 x 0.2-0.7 cm, median 14-27 x 0.5-2.2 cm, distal 10-18 x 1.3-2 cm, the distal pair joined for 1-2 cm and with 2-8 mm wide dentate apices, other leaflets acuminate and with 1 main midrib and 2 fainter veins, distal pair with 3 main veins, all leaflets with scattered minute reddish scales on the main and minor veins. INFLORESCENCE interfoliar, pendulous, branched to 1 order; peduncle 22-43 cm long, distally 2-3 mm diam., green with scattered scales but glabrescent; prophyll 14-31 cm long, 5-8 mm wide, borne at 1-13 cm above the base of the peduncle, pale brown with scattered scales, opening at the apex for 1-2.5 cm; peduncular bract inserted at 13-29 cm from the base of the peduncle, 13-14 cm long but rapidly deciduous, seen once and that time opening in the distal 5-6 cm; second peduncular bract seen once, inserted some 6 cm below the apex of the peduncle, c. 3 cm long; rachis absent or up to 6.5 cm long, glabrous, with 2-10 rachillae; rachillae 13-30 cm long, 1-1.5 mm diam., with spaced triads. STAMINATE FLOWERS custard yellow, with sepals 0.7-1 x 0.6-1 mm; receptacle 0.5-0.6 mm high; petals 1.2-1.7 x 0.7-1.3 mm; stamens 6, equal, the filaments 0.3-0.8 mm long, triangular with a 0.3 mm wide base, the anthers 0.4-0.8 x 0.4-0.5 mm, dorsifixed and versatile; pistillode 0.2-0.4 x 0.2-0.3 mm. PISTILLATE FLOWERS with sepals 0.5-1 x 0.6-1.4, unequal with one markedly asymmetrical; petals 1.5-2 x 2-2.2 mm; staminodes 0.2-0.3 mm; gynoecium 1.2-1.5 x 0.8-1.4 mm on a 0.2 mm stalk. FRUIT red, subglobose, 9-12 mm diam., fleshy, with fibrous endocarp with free fibres. SEED 6.5-9 x 6-8 mm, with homogeneous endosperm. (J. Dransfield and H. Beentje. 1995)/Palmweb. Editing by edric.

We have found two of the syntypes, Perrier 11988 from Analamazaotra, and Perrier 18043 from the lower Mangoro R. These are not the same taxon. We have chosen Perrier 11988 as the lectotype; the other number is not included in the description (see D. linearis). The protologue has characters drawn from both these sheets. A fairly nondescript species, whose relationships are probably with D. linearis. Humbert & Cours 17908 differs slightly from the other collections in the narrower leaflets which are grouped much more tightly within the groups, but this character is fairly variable within this taxon. Probably the same is: Mananara Avaratra, Andravolasoa, April 1992 (old infl.), Beentje et al. 4640 (K, TAN) from rain forest at 330 m; a solitary palm to 6 m, with 22 leaflets on each side of the rachis, of which the proximal are 6.5-11 cm long, and glabrous or nearly so; the inflorescence rachis is 15 cm long, with 15 rachillae. In other respects it conforms to the above description, and has the look of being the same taxon, but in some ways it is also close to D. corniculata. (J. Dransfield and H. Beentje. 1995)/Palmweb.

Culture

Cold Hardiness Zone: 10a

Comments and Curiosities

One of the commonest palms of the well-known forest at Analamazaotra, but very rare elsewhere. The name refers to Henri Lucien Jumelle (1866-1935), who collaborated with Perrier de la Bâthie on the publication of the palm flora of Madagascar and who described many species. (J. Dransfield and H. Beentje. 1995)/Palmweb.

Conservation: Vulnerable. Only known from a single recent site, which is protected. (J. Dransfield and H. Beentje. 1995)/Palmweb.