Dypsis oreophila
Beentje
Arecaceae
Neodypsis gracilis Jum.
Phloga gracilis (Jum.) H.Perrier
Common Name:
Beanivona, Makira Protected Area, Toamasina, Madagascar
Photograph by: William J. Baker
Image credit to Palmweb
Beanivona, Makira Protected Area, Toamasina, Madagascar
Photograph by: William J. Baker
Image credit to Palmweb
Andranomenahely catchment, Makira Protected Area, Toamasina, Madagascar
Photograph by: William J. Baker
Image credit to Palmweb
Flowering plant
Photograph by: William J. Baker
Image credit to Palmweb
Flowering plant in the undergrowth
Photograph by: John Dransfield
Image credit to Palmweb
Close-up of the flowers
Photograph by: John Dransfield
Image credit to Palmweb
General Information
Dypsis oreophila is an evergreen, clumping palm growing 4 - 6 metres tall. It produces 4 - 8 unbranched stems that can be 4 - 6 metres tall, each topped by a rosette of leaves that can be up to 120cm long[
455- Title
- Flore de Madagascar et des Comores
- Publication
-
- Author
- Humbert H.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
- Publisher
- Museum National D'Histoire Naturelle; Paris
- Year
- 1946 - 1984
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Written in French, an excellent flora of the area though it has not been completed. Available for download from the Internet.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine.
A fairly scarce palm with about 500 individuals estimated throughout the distribution range. The species is threatened by habitat loss, especially clearance for shifting agriculture and logging. The habitat is also impacted by illegal ruby mining operations. The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2011)[
338- Title
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.iucnredlist.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
455- Title
- Flore de Madagascar et des Comores
- Publication
-
- Author
- Humbert H.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
- Publisher
- Museum National D'Histoire Naturelle; Paris
- Year
- 1946 - 1984
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Written in French, an excellent flora of the area though it has not been completed. Available for download from the Internet.
Range
Africa - northern and northeastern Medagascar.
Habitat
Lowland and montane forest, frequent in sites where the forest is mossy and the canopy is relatively low and slightly open, at elevations from 500 - 1,700 metres[
338- Title
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.iucnredlist.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].
Properties
| Conservation Status | Vulnerable |
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Habit | Evergreen Shrub |
| Height | 5.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Not known
Edible Uses
Leaves - cooked[
]. The palm heart (apical bud) is reported to be an excellent vegetable[
299- Title
- Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.prota.org
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. Harvesting this heart leads to the death of the individual stem since it is unable to produce side shoots[
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
Medicinal
The plant (parts not specified but probably the bark and/or the fruits) is used in the treatment of headaches, jaundice and hepatitis; and also as an aid to lactation[
547- Title
- Assessing Ethnobotanical Knowledge and Resources, Lokaro Reserve, SE Madagascar
- Publication
-
- Author
- Lehman A.D.
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2009
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A thesis, in PDF format, by Ashley Davis Lehman of the University of Montana, Missoula, MT.
].
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed -
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
