Dypsis tenuissima Beentje, Palms Madagascar : 315 (1995)

Primary tabs

https://media.e-taxonomy.eu/palmae/photos/palm_tc_65536_1.jpg

Content

Introduction

  • This is one of the smallest palms in the world, with extremely slender stems. This is reflected in the species name, which is Latin for 'most slender'. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Distribution

Map uses TDWG level 3 distributions (https://github.com/tdwg/wgsrpd)
Madagascar present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B
Only known from Andohahela. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Discussion

  • Distinct in the very slender stems and the tiny, thin, much-toothed leaf. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Diagnosis

  • Caulibus gracillimis folio minuto tenue multo lobato distincta. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Biology And Ecology

  • Lowland rain forest, slight mid slope; 500-550 m. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Conservation

  • Endangered. Only known from a single site; numbers seen were less than a hundred. This area is outside the protected area. (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

  • Clustering palm in groups of 2-6. STEMS 25-50 cm high, 2-4 mm diam.; internodes 1-4 cm. LEAVES 4-11 in the crown, entire or pinnate; sheath 2.3-6 cm, closed, with sloping, slightly laciniate shoulders and with scattered scales; petiole 2-4.6 cm, 1-1.5 mm diam., with scattered scales; entire leaves 11-19 cm long, midrib 1.7-4.5 cm, the lobes 8-15 x 0.7-1.3 cm (lobed 75-85 %), with 3-5 main veins, narrowly dentate apices, glabrous or with a few proximal scales; pinnate leaves with rachis 4.5-6 cm long, with scattered scales; leaflets 2-5 on each side of the rachis, the proximal 9-14 x 0.3-0.6 cm (main veins 1-2), median 9-13 x 0.3-4 cm (interval 0.8-1.2 cm, main vein 1), apices attenuate, distal 11-14 x 0.5-1 cm, connate for 3-4 cm, with 2-3 main veins and narrow dentate apices, glabrous. INFLORESCENCE interfoliar, unbranched, 9-16 cm long; peduncle 6-11 cm long, c. 1 mm diam.; prophyll 6-9 cm long, borne at 2.5-4 cm above the base of the peduncle, with few scattered scales especially on the margins (resembling thin ramenta), open at the apex for 0.6-1 cm; peduncular bract inserted at 6-9 cm from the base of the peduncle, deciduous; non-tubular peduncular bract 1-2 mm; rachilla 3.2-4.3 cm long, 1-2 mm diam., with distant triads, glabrous. STAMINATE FLOWERS with sepals 0.7-1 x 0.6-1.1 mm, only slightly keeled; petals 2.2-2.5 x 1.2-1.4 mm; stamens 6, uniseriate, filaments c. 0.8 mm and thin, anthers 1.1-1.3 x 0.3-0.5 mm, versatile and parallel; pistillode < 1 mm. PISTILLATE FLOWERS with sepals 0.8-1.2 x 1.2-1.4 mm; petals 1.8-2.3 x 1.7-2.2 mm; staminodes 0.3-0.7 mm; ovary 2.1-2.4 x 1.8-2 mm. FRUIT ellipsoid, 9.5-10 x 5-5.5 mm, rounded at the apex; endocarp with almost free fibres. SEED ellipsoid, 8-9 x 3.5 mm, obtuse at both ends; endosperm homogeneous. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Materials Examined

  • Tolanaro: 13 km N of Ezoambo, March 1992 (fl., y.fr.), Beentje & Andriampaniry 4592 (Holotype K; isotypes BH, MO, P, TAN); idem, March 1992 (ster.), Beentje & Andriampaniry 4601 (K). (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Bibliography

    A. Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar
    B. World Checklist of Arecaceae