Dypsis brevicaulis
Encyclopedia
Dypsis brevicaulis is a species of dwarf palm that is found on only three sites in Madagascar
, with fewer than fifty plants ever found in the wild. The plant is part of the IUCN Sampled Red List Index for Plants
, a study of representative species from all over the world which is studying extinction trends for plants.
in shape, and grow up to 1.5 m (4.9 ft) long. The inflorescences reach up to 40 cm (15.7 in) long, typically on a single stem, are covered with small hairs, and hold approximately 60-80 flower clusters each. The individual flowers are up to 3 mm (0.118110236220472 in) in diameter.
and Manafiafy/Sainte-Luce between 100 to 700 m (328.1 to 2,296.6 ft) elevation, growing in white sand or laterite
. It is found in only three locations, with fewer than fifty plants ever found in the wild. Its native habitat is threatened by deforestation for cultivation by local villagers, and by plans for mining Ilmenite
in the region.
, the highest risk category for wild plants, by the IUCN Red List
. It is included in the IUCN Sampled Red List Index for Plants, an ongoing study of representative plant species from all over the world which is looking at extinction risk and trends.
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, with fewer than fifty plants ever found in the wild. The plant is part of the IUCN Sampled Red List Index for Plants
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
, a study of representative species from all over the world which is studying extinction trends for plants.
Description
Dypsis brevicaulis grows from a 15 cm (5.9 in) long stem that is mostly below the ground. It has 5-8 erect leaves covered with reddish scales, with two small lobes at the base of each leaf and ragged edges. The leaves are deeply notched at the end, narrowly triangularLeaf shape
In botany, leaf shape is characterised with the following terms :* Acicular : Slender and pointed, needle-like* Acuminate : Tapering to a long point...
in shape, and grow up to 1.5 m (4.9 ft) long. The inflorescences reach up to 40 cm (15.7 in) long, typically on a single stem, are covered with small hairs, and hold approximately 60-80 flower clusters each. The individual flowers are up to 3 mm (0.118110236220472 in) in diameter.
Taxonomy
The specific epithet, brevicaulis ("short-stemmed"), refers to the plant's habit of seeming to grow directly from the ground, appearing to lack a visible stem ("acaulescent"). It was first named and described as Neophloga brevicaulis in 1973 by Jean L. Guillaumet and then reclassified as Dypsis brevicaulis in 1995 by Henk Jaap Beentje and John Dransfield.Distribution and habitat
Dypsis brevicaulis is native to the far southeast of Madagascar, in coastal evergreen forests north of MananteninaManantenina
Manantenina is a town and commune in Madagascar. It belongs to the district of Taolanaro, which is a part of Anosy Region. The population of the commune was estimated to be approximately 19,000 in 2001 commune census....
and Manafiafy/Sainte-Luce between 100 to 700 m (328.1 to 2,296.6 ft) elevation, growing in white sand or laterite
Laterite
Laterites are soil types rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Nearly all laterites are rusty-red because of iron oxides. They develop by intensive and long-lasting weathering of the underlying parent rock...
. It is found in only three locations, with fewer than fifty plants ever found in the wild. Its native habitat is threatened by deforestation for cultivation by local villagers, and by plans for mining Ilmenite
Ilmenite
Ilmenite is a weakly magnetic titanium-iron oxide mineral which is iron-black or steel-gray. It is a crystalline iron titanium oxide . It crystallizes in the trigonal system, and it has the same crystal structure as corundum and hematite....
in the region.
Conservation
The plant is listed as Critically EndangeredCritically Endangered
Critically Endangered is the highest risk category assigned by the IUCN Red List for wild species. Critically Endangered means that a species' numbers have decreased, or will decrease, by 80% within three generations....
, the highest risk category for wild plants, by the IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
. It is included in the IUCN Sampled Red List Index for Plants, an ongoing study of representative plant species from all over the world which is looking at extinction risk and trends.