Dypsis cabadae suspect

[Ntheastpalms]

And another of the crown

& another

[Ntheastpalms]

& last, another of the entire plant

The leaflets on both of the palms are not plumose at all & neither have clumped even though they look like they are, they were multi planted in large 25 litre bags when they were purchased 5 years ago (they have been particually fast growers). There would be 12 to 15 feet of clear trunk on the largest of the two.

[JD in the OC]

All the clues point to D. cabadae x decaryi on that one, especially those V'd leaflets. We are going to pick one of these up next week for our nursery. More pics to come then...

[tanetahi]

Some photos I've taken this morning of three different D. cabadae in different gardens around town;

1. My neighbour's. This is actually a much older plant than it looks, because they are in the habit of felling its trunks when they get big, and then allowing new basal sprouts to regenerate.

1. Close up of leaf-sheathes on upper stem.

2. Different plant, same practice - large, original trunk felled, just visible as a stump to the left.

2. Close up of leaf-sheathes on upper stem.

[tanetahi]

3. This one is flowering and fruiting.

3. Close-up of sheathes on upper stem. Notice the auricle-like protusions on the shoulders of each leaf-sheath.

3. Linear pinnae

3. Flower panicle, branched to three orders.

Edited July 19, 2008 by tanetahi

[tanetahi]

3. Immature fruit.

3. Tip of frond, with the intrafoliar flower panicles visible on the larger trunk behind.

3. The stem bases, showing what appears to be axillary branching.

3. Another closeup, showing the angular auricle-like protrusions on the shoulders of the sheathes.

Plenty of scurfy, waxy bloom, but seemingly no scales.

[tanetahi]

Some photos of my own young Dypsis pembana. There is immediately apparent plant-to-plant variation among them. All are from the same seedlot, and are the clump-forming type.

A frond of the plant with the most broadly lanceolate pinnae.

Frond of the plant with the narrowest pinnae.

Fimbriate scales on the culm-sheathes vary widely from plant to plant. On this one they are dense.

On this one, the waxy farinose bloom is much more in evidence, and the scales appear to be more thinly scattered.

[tanetahi]

Dypsis pembana: the callus pads in the adaxial petiolar sulcus.

Edited July 19, 2008 by tanetahi

[JD in the OC]

Very good photos Peter. Is there any ramenta present on the abaxial side of the leaflets on the true D. cabadae?

[tanetahi]

- no, as far as I can see - the rachis and abaxial pinna surfaces are glabrous. These photos aren't focussed, because the sun was going down, and I was being verbally abused by young Aboriginals in the street as I took them!

[tanetahi]

I forgot to photograph the callus-pads of this species first time round so here are some.

[Tyrone]

These are really nice pictures guys. I've enjoyed reading through this thread. I have no idea what the mystery palm is, but I want one. Dypsis will have us totally confused forever I think, and throw in hybrids and the confusion goes up ten fold. What I'd love to see is a D leptocheilos X cabadae, or a D leptocheilos X decipiens. Imagine a cold hardy redneck that has huge trunks and clumps.

So the big thing in question in this thread is who the daddy is. We may never know, but he was probably very nice.

To me the more the confusion the more the fun with this genus.

Best regards

Tyrone

[LJG]

Tyrone,

D leptocheilos X cabadae exist and it is a killer plant. Look at Dave Garden to see pictures.

[MattyB]

bump