Dypsis sp. 'Lafa'

[Brad52]

Obtained one that the vendor described as being very plumose, I'm not finding much info on it, is it known by another name or more importantly, how large do they get...in east Hawai'i?

[quaman58]

If memory serves, this used to be sometime sold as Dypsis “dwarf” St lucei. I think it was from other cultivated palms, meaning that they did not know at the time where in Madagascar they originated. It is a very pretty palm, somewhat reminiscent of St lucei, but with a bit more glaucous look. Unfortunately they don’t really grow for us in SoCal, but in Hawaii you should be golden! I think Floribunda has been the source of all these.

[quaman58]

When I googled dwarf st lucei, a great palmtalk thread popped up. Sorry, couldn’t paste it here

[Brad52]

Awesome, thank you!

[John hovancsek]

Lafa is just like basilonga 

[Brad52]

Or is it just like St. Lucei? Or both?  Or neither?  I planted it near a new B chungii to have some glaucous next to glaucous. Seems to be one of those palms, my new Areca riparia is apparently not that as the article says the one from Vietnam-which mine is, is a different plant so back to no name on that one.  

[Tracy]

8 hours ago, John hovancsek said:

Lafa is just like basilonga 

John, is it the same size as Dypsis basilonga and same colors or was Bret on the right track that it is a bit smaller but just had the species incorrect with saintelucei?  I've heard the name but never seen specimens.  Perhaps you can share a photo of the parent plant(s) for the younger ones Floribunda has sold?

[Steve Mac]

I got mine about 10 years ago or more from 'Palms for Brisbane',  who have since closed.

At the time I enquired as much as I could about it, and all I could find out, correctly or otherwise was that the natives (where it came from?) when asked what it was called, said that it was 'Laffa". And that Laffa means Palm. I know it sounds like a bad joke.

But mine looks like this, it's the white one.     Mine is not plumose but almost in one plane with a slight keel with very long leaflets evenly and alternately spaced.

[John hovancsek]

I will try to take a pic today if one for you that is right next to a st lucie

[John hovancsek]

Never mind the last post here is a pic I already had in my phone ( the one in front is lafa