Dypsis pumila Beentje, Palms Madagascar : 223 (1995)

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Introduction

  • A species from high mountains in the north; the specific name means 'dwarf', and refers to the habit: in this case short and stocky rather than the 'tiny' it often means. This species holds the altitude record for Madagascar palms as it occurs at a higher elevation than any other. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Distribution

NE Madagascar, only known from the Marojejy Mts. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Discussion

  • This species is near D. heteromorphus but is solitary, much shorter, has a shorter sheath, smaller leaves, and the inflorescence branches to only one order; it is also near D. acuminum but is distinct by its ruminate endosperm and shorter sheath. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Diagnosis

  • Palma nana monticola si caespitosa D. heteromorphae affinis sed multo breviore vagina folii minima foliis minoribus inflorescentiis semel ramificantibus, si solitaria D. acuminum affinis sed endospermio ruminato vagina folii minima differt. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Biology And Ecology

  • On gneiss and quartzite, in ericoid vegetation or montane forest, also in high altitude swamp; 1500-2100 m. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Conservation

  • Vulnerable. Only known from a single locality, which is protected. Not collected in recent years. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Common Name

  • Not recorded. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Uses

  • Not recorded. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Description

  • Dwarf palm 0.3-1 m, apparently solitary. STEM erect or procumbent, 2.2-7 cm diam., internodes 2-5 mm distally. LEAVES 3-4 per crown; sheath 11-19 cm long, c. 2 cm diam., waxy and distally densely scaly, without auricles but with square shoulders; petiole absent or up to 4 cm, 7-11 x 4-8 mm diam., densely scaly; rachis 26-47 cm, densely scaly; leaflets regular, 19-21 on each side of the rachis, the proximal 11-18 x 0.3-1.2 cm, median 13-20 x 1-2.1 cm (interval 0.8-2 cm), distal 2.5-9 x 0.2-1 cm, apices attenuate, not bifid, main vein 1-3, as well as thickened margins, few to many small scales on midrib and margins abaxially, with a few scales on the proximal midrib adaxially. INFLORESCENCE infrafoliar, branching to 1 order; peduncle 7-16 cm, 4-8 mm diam.; prophyll dark green, 17-24 cm long, borne at 2.8-8 cm above the base of the peduncle, 3-3.5 cm wide, the distal half open; peduncular bract inserted at 4.5-12.2 cm, 10-15 x 3.6 cm, open, with scattered small scales; rachis 3-5 cm long, glabrous, with 9 rachillae (always?); rachillae 6-10 cm long, 1.5-3 mm diam., glabrous, the triads distant, sunk in pits; rachilla bracts acute, entire. STAMINATE FLOWERS with sepals 2.3-3.9 x 1.8-3.2 mm, ovate or elliptic, proximally slightly gibbous, keeled, with membranous margins, acute or obtuse, entire; receptacle 1.8-2 mm high; petals 3-5.8 x 2.6-3.6 mm, ovate or elliptic, striate, acute; stamens 6, uni- or biseriate, filaments 2.8-5 x 0.7-1 mm, flat, anthers 1.4-1.8 x 0.8-1 mm, dorsifixed, versatile, the locules slightly diverging proximally, obtuse; pistillode c. 1.8-3 x 0.7-1 mm. PISTILLATE FLOWERS with sepals 2.6-3.2 x 1.7-3.3 mm (to 4.7 mm wide in fruit), (broadly) ovate, concave, acute; petals (in bud) imbricate with a minute valvate apex, broadly ovate, 2.2-2.8 x 1.8-2.2 mm, or (in fruit) white and reddish, 4.2-4.8 x 5-5.5 mm; staminodes (four seen) flat, up to 0.6 mm high; gynoecium c. 2.2 x 1.5 mm. FRUIT subglobose to slightly obovoid, 17-26 x 12-20 mm, pointed at the base, rounded at the apex; endocarp fibrous, but not adhering to the seed. SEED slightly obovoid, 16-17 x 13-14 mm, pointed at the base, rounded at the apex, with a faint subequatorial depression; endosperm ruminate with many intrusions, 2- 6 mm deep. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Materials Examined

  • Marojejy E peak, Dec. 1948 (dead infl.), Humbert 22756 (K, P); idem, March 1949 (fl., fr.), Humbert 23679 (K, P); idem, March/April 1949 (fr.), Humbert & Cours 23799 (K, P); Marojejy summit, April 1949 (fl.), Cours 3576 (K, P, TAN); Marojejy, without further loc., 1900 m, Nov. 1972 (??), Guillaumet 4059 (TAN). (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Bibliography

    A. Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar