Madagascar experts, what are these

[Stevetoad]

My assumption is that they are beccariophoenix alfredii. But I don’t know how low they grow. I saw something about growing at 3000ft and these are at 800 ft. If the google earth measure tool is accurate some of these are about 40feet wide. 

[LJG]

Not a Madagascar expert, or anything close, but playing along... If your location marker is correct, this spot is too far north and west for Beccariophoenix alfredii only known location. And by quite aways. My guess would be Dypsis decipiens as that species can be found NW of Tana. But those do look too big for DD of scale is correct. Maybe new location find for Alfredii?

[Stevetoad]

1 hour ago, LJG said:

Not a Madagascar expert, or anything close, but playing along... If your location marker is correct, this spot is too far north and west for Beccariophoenix alfredii only known location. And by quite aways. My guess would be Dypsis decipiens as that species can be found NW of Tana. But those do look too big for DD of scale is correct. Maybe new location find for Alfredii?

Thanks for your input Len. The location is correct. I was trying to find bizzys when I saw these. Whatever they are they’re huge. 

[Tyrone]

Quick. Send a search party. Agree not the type locality for B alfredii but conditions look similar but lower altitude. A creek line loaded with palms and surrounded by arid conditions. New species??? Maybe. 

[Stevetoad]

1 hour ago, LJG said:

Not a Madagascar expert, or anything close, but playing along... If your location marker is correct, this spot is too far north and west for Beccariophoenix alfredii only known location. And by quite aways. My guess would be Dypsis decipiens as that species can be found NW of Tana. But those do look too big for DD of scale is correct. Maybe new location find for Alfredii?

Thanks for your input Len. The location is correct. I was trying to find bizzys when I saw these. Whatever they are they’re huge. 

[Gtlevine]

Due to the concentration of palms and that they are grouped along a water course, i would say Ravenea rivularis. D. Decipians are not that concentrated. 

[Stevetoad]

9 minutes ago, Gtlevine said:

Due to the concentration of palms and that they are grouped along a water course, i would say Ravenea rivularis. D. Decipians are not that concentrated. 

They definitely could be.  The color and the amount of leaves fit with R. Rivularis. The size that the measure tool is probably basing of ground level. So a tall palm could measure bigger than it is. I measured one at 63 feet wide. I really doubt that’s accurate. 

[LJG]

22 minutes ago, Stevetoad said:

They definitely could be.  The color and the amount of leaves fit with R. Rivularis. The size that the measure tool is probably basing of ground level. So a tall palm could measure bigger than it is. I measured one at 63 feet wide. I really doubt that’s accurate. 

Ravenea rivularis is not in the area either. it is a more southern palm. So unless cultivated, it wouldn't be a natural location according to POM. 

Gary, I have seen DD in some very large concentrations. 

[Stevetoad]

3 minutes ago, LJG said:

Ravenea rivularis is not in the area either. it is a more southern palm. So unless cultivated, it wouldn't be a natural location according to POM. 

Gary, I have seen DD in some very large concentrations. 

If you go to this location there is nothing man made for a very very long way. Good to know that RR doesn’t exist here. 

[Stevetoad]

If it’s a new species go ahead and name if after me. I think everyone would like a palm with the word Hornii in it. 

[quaman58]

Dang that’s funny. My wife’s just shaking her head. She doesn’t get guy humor. 

[Tyrone]

Altitude is right for Ravenea rivularis. It's too low for Dypsis decipiens. Further north though than known Ravenea rivularis. It will be a good thing if it is R rivularis as they are a threatened species.

Only one way to find out for sure. Send someone out there. Any takers?

[Gtlevine]

Everything in that picture looks like rivularis, but Len is right in that most rivularis ive seen were from Isialo. But this is madagascar, that location is not that far north that a colony could not be there undiscovered.

[LJG]

17 minutes ago, Tyrone said:

Altitude is right for Ravenea rivularis. It's too low for Dypsis decipiens. Further north though than known Ravenea rivularis. It will be a good thing if it is R rivularis as they are a threatened species.

Only one way to find out for sure. Send someone out there. Any takers?

Good point on altitude for DD. 

Steve, did you find the Bizzies? Easiest place to see them is look up Isalo NP, find RN 7 and head west on it and it is just west of Isalo. Hundreds can be seen from road looking N  

 

[Stevetoad]

30 minutes ago, Tyrone said:

Altitude is right for Ravenea rivularis. It's too low for Dypsis decipiens. Further north though than known Ravenea rivularis. It will be a good thing if it is R rivularis as they are a threatened species.

Only one way to find out for sure. Send someone out there. Any takers?

No. I gave up after discovering beccariophoenix Hornii. 

[Tracy]

2 hours ago, Tyrone said:

Send someone out there. Any takers?

I agree!   The only true solution is an expedition!  Maybe I should start a go fund me page for Dypsis "stevetoad aka hornii" discovery! 

[Dadamanga]

I was in that area in September. There is a surprising number of palms there, a lot of green Bismarckia, really huge swathes of raphia, especially in the bottoms of gullies. I saw a lot of what seemed to be (from the car window) Dypsis madagascariensis. I made notes on my phone as we drove and I noted a lot of green fan palms in a number of gully bottoms. I assume that JD and others have been along that road and that they would have noticed anything extraordinary so I just wrote them off as Bismarckia but with a note to look more closely on another day.