Yet Another Dypsis Identification

[joe_OC]

Just picked this up and wanted to get a positive ID on it:

Close up of petioles

Full palm shot

It looks like Dypsis "Mealy Bug" to me, but am not sure...

[Jeff Searle]

Joe,

It does look like a small Dypsis mananjarensis to me. This is a very pretty palm as a juvinile when seen it in habitat. Mine in the yard now has leaves 6' tall and show's great coloring on the petioles.

Jeff

[LJG]

Where did you pick it up? Dypsis mananjarensis just aren't 'around' anywhere.

[joe_OC]

Jeff - I thought of yours when I saw it. Gonna baby this thing until next Spring and put her in the ground.

Len - I picked it up from Clark. I spotted it under his huge Beccariophoenix. It did not seem that he was sure what it was. I took the chance and picked it up thinking that they were not an easy find.

[LJG]

This is why I asked. It looked very familiar. I was there with Matt P and Gary a few weeks back. We thought it was a Kentiopsis Oliviformis.

[joe_OC]

I have a K. Oliviformis close to that size and it doesn't have nearly the same amount of "mealy bug". I guess I will find out as it grows.

[LJG]

Kentiopsis Oliviformis was just a guess. Just did not get the Dypsis mananjarensis feel when there. Trust me, had anyone in our group got the 'feel', you would not be posting that picture right now.

The mealy pattern can be even greater on the KO. Ex:

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/184840/

Hopefully others register a guess a help you out. Good score regardless.

[cfkingfish]

I don't think there is one way to distinguish it between D. mananjarensis and D. malcomberi at this point. Both have the same seed size and form a big heel when young. Both also may or may not get mealy markings when they are young. I think Clayton once mentioned they are "twins", I liked that term.

[joe_OC]

Len, interesting enough, Clark said that Gary thought it was "mealy bug"...hmmm I smell fish...

[LJG]

I do not want to put words in anyone's mouth, but I do not recall that. But I hear only 40% of what was said of anything.

Lets see what others say as I am curious as well.

Len, interesting enough, Clark said that Gary thought it was "mealy bug"...hmmm I smell fish...

[Gtlevine]

My opinion is this is not Dypsis Manajarensis. Although there is a similar look to Manajarensis, I was with Len that something was just a little bit too different. Time will tell.

Gary

[JEFF from Trabuco Canyon CA]

I think it has that look of Kentiopsis Oliviformis too. Any pictures of the whole plant or the top of the leafs.

[joe_OC]

You guys are the experts, so I will go with what you say...Especially since Len and Gary saw the same palm in person. Chalk it up to a lesson learned...not going to be purchasing from Clark again, that's for sure.

[ellidro]

You guys are the experts, so I will go with what you say...Especially since Len and Gary saw the same palm in person. Chalk it up to a lesson learned...not going to be purchasing from Clark again, that's for sure.

Joe showed me the palm today and I also thought possibly Kentiopsis Olivoformis. We looked at some of the mealy markings on my olivoformis and they looked similar. The thing that raised a red flag to me is that all the mealy's I have seen at that size or similar had tons of coloration and Joe's palm did not. Hopefully for Joe's sake it turns out to be something cool.

[Daryl]

Any idea what this is?

Daryl

[LJG]

Daryl I have a very similar plant. I got it as D. malcomberi .

[BS Man about Palms]

Saw that at Clarks, Joe.I thought it was the Kentiopsis.

Daryl, I'm with Len on that one. Looks great! (except for the extra scale )

[cfkingfish]

Looking at it again no more or less sober, it does look like a K. o. a tad bit shaded.

Its tricky for us Floridians to ID CA palms sometimes because of the "stretched out" look.

[Gtlevine]

Any idea what this is?

Daryl

This is what we all have in So Cal as Dypsis Malcomberi.

Gary

[JEFF from Trabuco Canyon CA]

Here is a picture of small Kentiopsis oliviformis.

[JEFF from Trabuco Canyon CA]

Kentiopsis oliviformis top view.

[JEFF from Trabuco Canyon CA]

Dypsis mananjarensis small plant.

[JEFF from Trabuco Canyon CA]

Dypsis malcomberi small plant.

[rafiki]

Dypsis malcomberi small plant.

We seem to be once again going down the trail of misleading palm introduction names! Have always thought how strange it is that really and honestly ..it is only Madagascar palms that seems to provide the most passion, discussion and occasional controversy! For years so many palms seeds have come into almost every country in the world but it seems that only the Mad material is highly suspect.

Regarding the photos posted so far ...Joe's palm is not D. mananjarensis and may not be D. malcomberi either. This is only my opinion but based on much Mad experience and observation of hundreds of D. mananjarensis at all stages of growth. However I have never seen D. malcomberi in the wild as their habitat is in the far south east if the country. But...D. mananjarensis has also been recorded in that part of the country and it would be quite easy for indigenous collectors to mistake the adult trees and seeds! I, like many other palm fanatics, also bought seed labelled D. malcomberi a few years ago and lo and behold! ...some of them turned out to be the easily recognisable D. mananjarensis ...exactly the same as Daryl and Gary's pics.

The year before tho...I also got seedlings of palms labelled as D. malcomberi and they turned out to be something very different from the normal Mad big palms. They have a very long petiole and short group of pinnate leaflets. But are they D. malcomberi?!! Will post pics tomorrow of both species and look forward to comments.

Cheers from hot and sultry Cairns!

Bill.

[rafiki]

Dypsis malcomberi small plant.

We seem to be once again going down the trail of misleading palm introduction names! Have always thought how strange it is that really and honestly ..it is only Madagascar palms that seems to provide the most passion, discussion and occasional controversy! For years so many palms seeds have come into almost every country in the world but it seems that only the Mad material is highly suspect.

Regarding the photos posted so far ...Joe's palm is not D. mananjarensis and may not be D. malcomberi either. This is only my opinion but based on much Mad experience and observation of hundreds of D. mananjarensis at all stages of growth. However I have never seen D. malcomberi in the wild as their habitat is in the far south east if the country. But...D. mananjarensis has also been recorded in that part of the country and it would be quite easy for indigenous collectors to mistake the adult trees and seeds! I, like many other palm fanatics, also bought seed labelled D. malcomberi a few years ago and lo and behold! ...some of them turned out to be the easily recognisable D. mananjarensis ...exactly the same as Daryl and Gary's pics.

The year before tho...I also got seedlings of palms labelled as D. malcomberi and they turned out to be something very different from the normal Mad big palms. They have a very long petiole and short group of pinnate leaflets. But are they D. malcomberi?!! Will post pics tomorrow of both species and look forward to comments.

Cheers from hot and sultry Cairns!

Bill.

Ok...here are 3 pics. The first is of D. mananjarensis on the left and the putative D. malcomberi.

Second pic is a close-up of D. mananjarensis and the last is the leaflet arrangement of the said D. malcomberi. I am aware that many have the D. malcomberi as illustrated...so lets hear what you think! Cheers! Bill.

[BS Man about Palms]

Bill!

Hey, that "other" malcomberi looks very different. Are there any markings on the petiole or the base? It looks like I see a good sized heel?

Have they both bee in the same "light" situation?

Thanks for more mysteries!

BS Man

[ellidro]

Bill,

Here is a photo of what Jerry Anderson is growing as Malcomberi. It looks similar to yours just more compact from the sun. He told me he got the seeds several years back and once they got to one gallon size he thought they were Dypsis Pilulifera "Orange Crush". Once they matured he noticed the white tomentum and color on the petioles so now he thinks it may be the true malcomberi. I'll post a pic of one I bought from him that is about the size of yours later. Here's Jerry's plant.

[pogobob]

You guys are the experts, so I will go with what you say...Especially since Len and Gary saw the same palm in person. Chalk it up to a lesson learned...not going to be purchasing from Clark again, that's for sure.

Let's see here, You spotted it, you thought you'd take a chance, you already have one, and the "experts" even can't agree 100% on it! No need to blame anyone but yourself, you still got a great palm.

[joe_OC]

You guys are the experts, so I will go with what you say...Especially since Len and Gary saw the same palm in person. Chalk it up to a lesson learned...not going to be purchasing from Clark again, that's for sure.

Let's see here, You spotted it, you thought you'd take a chance, you already have one, and the "experts" even can't agree 100% on it! No need to blame anyone but yourself, you still got a great palm.

I am not blaming Clark that I bought the palm... That was a chance I was taking. The part that ERCKed me about Clark was that if he did not know, that is fine...but, he did not have to add that Gary Levine thought it was a mealy bug as well. I should have known better that if Gary thought it was a mealy bug, Gary would have snatched it up. A more reputable seller would have just left it at that, that he did not know...

[Gtlevine]

Here is a picture of my true Dypsis Manajarensis in a 15 gallon container. The markings are very distinctive as are the leaf arrangement.

Gary

Base of plant

[joe_OC]

Gary - Great pic!

Yes, I had forgotten that the "mealy bugs" are much longer. Of course Gary would not say that the palm I got I got was not a mealy bug...he has one at home to compare it to...not even close.

[BS Man about Palms]

You guys are the experts, so I will go with what you say...Especially since Len and Gary saw the same palm in person. Chalk it up to a lesson learned...not going to be purchasing from Clark again, that's for sure.

Let's see here, You spotted it, you thought you'd take a chance, you already have one, and the "experts" even can't agree 100% on it! No need to blame anyone but yourself, you still got a great palm.

Is this Braden or Bob replying? Hard to tell anymore with a "2 for 1" name.

[Shon]

That's a purdy one Gary. Is it going in the ground next Spring? You have to keep up with Bill now.

[Gtlevine]

That's a purdy one Gary. Is it going in the ground next Spring? You have to keep up with Bill now.

Yes Shon, it has rooted out in the 15 gallon so it is ready to go in the ground, I already have the spot picked out for it.

Gary

[joe_OC]

You guys are the experts, so I will go with what you say...Especially since Len and Gary saw the same palm in person. Chalk it up to a lesson learned...not going to be purchasing from Clark again, that's for sure.

Let's see here, You spotted it, you thought you'd take a chance, you already have one, and the "experts" even can't agree 100% on it! No need to blame anyone but yourself, you still got a great palm.

Is this Braden or Bob replying? Hard to tell anymore with a "2 for 1" name.

Pretty sure it is Bob as he was on his way to visit Clark while I was there...at least that was what Clark told me at the time...

[pogobob]

Is this Braden or Bob replying? Hard to tell anymore with a "2 for 1" name.

[joe_OC]

[pogobob]

Bob, I don't know why you are defending Clark when you were not involved? I have not heard from Clark to offer me a refund or exchange for another palm. He hasn't contested what he said. Your own son, Braden, has issues with Clark. I don't know about you, but in my book, when someone LIES to me to influence my decision to purchase something from them, they are no longer reputable. Both Gary and Len looked at the exact palm I purchased and concurred that it was a K. Oliviformis. I am sure that Clark was involved in that conversation, why would Clark say that Gary thought it was a "mealy bug" unless he was lying?

[MattyB]

Objection! Hear say, your honor! Move to strike!

[joe_OC]

Bob,

I don't know where all of this hostility is coming from. I think Clark is a big boy and can take care of himself. I have no issues with you...why are you trying to create something when there is nothing?