Dypsis hiarakae Beentje, Palms Madagascar : 286 (1995)

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Introduction

  • A slightly nondescript medium-sized palm from rain forest in the north. The name refers to a village on the west coast of Masoala. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Distribution

Manongarivo, Masoala and Mananara Avaratra. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Diagnosis

  • palma solitaria folio irregulariter pinnato pinnis fasciculatis inflorescentia in 2 vel 3 ordines ramificanti flore staminato 6 staminibus antheris versatalibus endospermio homogeneo distincta. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Biology And Ecology

  • Lowland to submontane rain forest; ridgetop or flat slope; 240-600 m. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Conservation

  • Rare, possibly vulnerable. Numbers are probably less than a few hundred. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Common Name

  • Sinkiara, Tsirika (Tsimihety). (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Uses

  • Stems used to make blowpipes in Manongarivo. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Description

  • Solitary palm. STEM 3-6 m, 1.2-2.5 cm 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 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 c. 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 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 c. 1 mm, anthers 1.3-1.5 x 0.6 mm, parallel and dorsifixed; pistillode c. 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, c. 9 x 5 mm. SEED 6.5-7 x 3.5 mm, obtuse at both ends, with homogeneous endosperm.
    NOTE: This species seems closest to D. confusa, but is distinct in the long rachillae. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Materials Examined

  • Ambanja: Ambalafary, Feb. 1992 (fr.), Beentje et al. 4578 (BH, K, MO, P, TAN); Amtsahakolany Valley, June 1923 (fl.), Decary 2139 (K, P). Maroantsetra: Hiaraka, Oct. 1986 (bud), Dransfield et al. JD6378 (K, TAN); Ambanizana, Oct. 1986 (y. fr.), Dransfield et al. JD6398 (Holotype K; isotype TAN). Mananara Avaratra: Antanambe, Oct. 1994 (bud), Dransfield & Beentje JD7508 (K, TAN). (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Bibliography

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