Arecaceae
Dypsis

Dypsis scandens J.Dransf.

First published in J.Dransfield & H.Beentje, Palms Madagascar: 255 (1995)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is E. Madagascar (Ifanadiana area). It is a climber and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

General Description
Clustering, climbing palm. STEMS to 8–10 m long, flexible, 7–12 mm diam., internodes 20–31 cm long, bright green, with scattered dark brown scales, nodal scars c. 2 mm wide; sheathed stem c. 1.5–1.8 mm diam. Stems carrying about 15 green leaves and several dead marcescent leaves. LEAF-sheaths 15–30 cm, pale green, smooth, with thin white wax, glabrous, turning dark blackish brown on drying, auricles absent; petiole absent; rachis 1.1–1.45 m, 7 mm wide at the base, triangular in section, tapering to c. 1 mm diam. at the tip; leaflets c. 15–18 on each side of the rachis, grouped, lanceolate, long acuminate, mostly strongly reflexed and with a conspicuous basal woody pulvinus, basal leaflets arranged singly, then two distant groups of two leaflets, then mostly singly to the tip, the leaflets dull green, glabrous, turning dirty brown-black on drying, basal leaflets 20 x 0.2 cm, median 24–30 x 3–3.5 cm, distal to 6 x 1.5 cm. INFLORESCENCE, only dead mummified material available, interfoliar, branched to 2 orders; peduncle mostly enclosed by the subtending leaf sheath, 16–45 cm, 7–20 mm wide at the base, 3–10 mm diam. near the tip; prophyll borne up to 10 cm above the peduncle base, to 15–34 x 1.6–3.1 cm, membranous, somewhat striate, glabrous; peduncular bract only fragments known, c. 15 x 1.5 cm, much tattered; rachis 27–40 cm long, bearing c. 13–15 first order branches; lowermost branches 12–18 cm, bearing 3–6 rachillae; rachillae c. 40–50 in total, 8–12 cm long, c. 1.2 mm diam., triads c. 1–3 mm distant. STAMINATE FLOWER rounded; sepals ± rounded, gibbous, keeled, c. 0.8 mm diam., smooth; petals triangular, c. 1.5 x 1.5 mm, striate; stamens 6, somewhat biseriate, the antepetalous longer than the antesepalous, filaments 0.3–0.5 mm, anthers elongate c. 1 x 0.2 mm, joined to connective throughout their length; pistillode low, conical. PISTILLATE FLOWER with sepals rounded, c. 0.8 mm diam., smooth; petals triangular, striate, 1.8 x 2 mm, enlarging to 2 x 2 mm in fruit, ovary c. 1 mm diam. FRUIT ellipsoid, 8 x 4.5 mm; endosperm homogeneous.
Distribution
Ifanadiana area, only known from one site.
Conservation
Probably endangered if not critical. The forests in this area are not protected, and are under pressure from shifting cultivation.
Diagnostic
habitu scandenti, caudicibus gracilibus vaginis foliorum glabris, foliolis divaricatis, basin pulvinatis, inflorescentia in 2 ordines ramificanti instanter distinguibilis.
Biology
Low canopy forest with small crowns on poor soils on quartzite ridge; 500 m.
Vernacular
Olokoloka (Tanala).
[PW]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/195995/2440541

Conservation
CR - critically endangered
[IUCN]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Uses

Use
Stems harvested for splitting to make fish traps, bird cages and hats. Said to be widespread in the area, but much harvested.
[PW]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Palmweb - Palms of the World Online

    • Palmweb 2011. Palmweb: Palms of the World Online. Published on the internet http://www.palmweb.org. Accessed on 21/04/2013
    • Content licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0