Dypsis sp. betefaka

[edric]

After .80 inches rain, day before last, Ed

[Stevetoad]

[MattyB]

That looks awfully D. madagascarienis to me. I don't remember D. betafaka being so plumose.

[Mandrew968]

That looks awfully D. madagascarienis to me. I don't remember D. betafaka being so plumose.

Looks like that to me as well--are they supposed to look different? I am not familiar with betafaka...

[edric]

Here's a link to other photos, Ed

http://www2.palmpedia.net/wiki/Dypsis_sp._%27betafaka%27

[MattyB]

Interesting. The ones I've seen look like the one on the upper right labled '4 years old', but I guess they morph as they age. Are all of yours plumose now? Did any remain more regular looking? People keep telling me to get one of these, but I don't know what the heck they are I thought some people mentioned that they were looking like a Dypsis decipiens, but yours are looking more like Alfred's Betafaka.

[Jastin]

Looks like the one I was trying to get an ID on, but yours is better looking.

[edric]

Interesting. The ones I've seen look like the one on the upper right labled '4 years old', but I guess they morph as they age. Are all of yours plumose now? Did any remain more regular looking? People keep telling me to get one of these, but I don't know what the heck they are I thought some people mentioned that they were looking like a Dypsis decipiens, but yours are looking more like Alfred's Betafaka.

Hi Matty, just one started to go plumose, Ed

[Mandrew968]

Does anyone know what this palm will look like? I don't need another madagascarensis type... looks nice.

[LJG]

Dypsis sp. 'betafaka' is another one of those palms that miraculously showed up soon after the original went 'viral' online. "Amazing, but now you too can own a betafaka!". Of course it is not the same plant but rather a way for seed collectors in Madagascar to make some quick bucks on a what's hot plant. Alfred's betafaka is unique and I have seen what I believe to be it at Mardy's and Ron Lawyers. Of course that would make sense because Alfred sent seed of it. Ron posted a picture of his a while back and you can see they look the very similar. I think Bill Sanford squeezed one out of Ron so let's see what he thinks too.

There seems to be at least three Dypsis sp. 'betafaka' going around that I know of. Alfred's, the "but ugly" one that Ron Lawyer coined years back, and a new one that is similar to the Ambo like plants going around. If you order Dypsis sp. 'betafaka' from Jeff Marcus right now, this is what you get. The "Butt ugly" one is turning out to be a real winner in my opinion for California and Marcus told me and a few others that he would not be surprised if it turned out to be his blue decipiens type palm. Mine in the ground is getting more glaucous with each new leaf, so my fingers are crossed that Jeff is correct. This plant takes full sun fast and grows through winter. So get one if you don't. Jerry Andersen's still has them.

I think Ed's plant is what is going around here are Dypsis Basilonga (not the real one from Bill and Pete, but that healed Madagascarensis looking type one Phil was selling). Matt, look at the Palmpedia photos Ed posted and look at that Dypsis Basilonga if you have one. Don't they look the same?

[MattyB]

I don't have the fakey D. basilonga, only the real one, but I have seen them around and I do think that Ed's plant looks like that. But I think there's a lot of different plants that have that plumose D. madagascarensis type look so it could be anything at this point, in my opinion.

I'd love to see a pic of your D. betafaka Len. If it does turn out to be that blue decipiens that would be way cool and a must have for Manambe Lavaka! (my garden likes to refer to itself in the third person...weird I know)

Ed,

So is the one going plumose doing so because it's so much larger/older than the others, or is this one plant an anomoly out of the group? What do the others from this seed batch look like?

[palmcurry]

If it turns out to be the 'blue decipiens' I will be so stoked. What a beauty. You can see a picture of this palm in the recent Dypsis PSSC journal. I was hoping that the D 'betafaka' going around here would be this palm but someone pointed out thatt the one in the picture's leaves are too close together. The one here has leaves spaced apart.

I was at JDAPALMS nursery recently looking at these. Interestingly, there are variations in the batch there. Looking through the 1gals there are differences. There is a 5 gal 'hon kona' betefaka too.

[LJG]

Matt, I can show you when you come dig those palms this Spring. Here is Bill Austin's, and you can see his is really getting glaucous. Vince you can also see the leaflets start to tighten up with a little more age. Who knows, but that would be a huge score if it does turn out to be that blue decipiens type. I bought another just in case

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=29384&view=findpost&p=479335

[MattyB]

Oh, I see we've had this whole conversation before. I feel like what old people don't feel like when they repeat themselves over and over again, because they don't know that they are doing it, and now I know that I am. Right?

[Bill Austin]

This may or may not help these are D. betafaka from Jerry A. The large one is in 50 % shade the other one full sun . The 50% shade has been in ground 2 and a half yrs. longer.

The two plants are fake dypsis basilongaon the left and true on the right. The on on the left if it turns out to be just another type of dypsis mad.it is in the the compost.

[Bill Austin]

I forgot to add this dypsis oreopendions this may or may not be what Alfreds is

[colin Peters]

Here is a pic of what I got as D. sp betefaka

[colin Peters]

close up of redish petiole

[colin Peters]

looking pretty plumose, maybe another mystery dypsis

[edric]

I don't have the fakey D. basilonga, only the real one, but I have seen them around and I do think that Ed's plant looks like that. But I think there's a lot of different plants that have that plumose D. madagascarensis type look so it could be anything at this point, in my opinion.

I'd love to see a pic of your D. betafaka Len. If it does turn out to be that blue decipiens that would be way cool and a must have for Manambe Lavaka! (my garden likes to refer to itself in the third person...weird I know)

Ed,

So is the one going plumose doing so because it's so much larger/older than the others, or is this one plant an anomoly out of the group? What do the others from this seed batch look like?

Hi Matty, when I first got it it was not plumose, Ed

[Mandrew968]

Oh, I see we've had this whole conversation before. I feel like what old people don't feel like when they repeat themselves over and over again, because they don't know that they are doing it, and now I know that I am. Right?

I hear ya--same thread!

[BS Man about Palms]

Dypsis sp. 'betafaka' is another one of those palms that miraculously showed up soon after the original went 'viral' online. "Amazing, but now you too can own a betafaka!". Of course it is not the same plant but rather a way for seed collectors in Madagascar to make some quick bucks on a what's hot plant. Alfred's betafaka is unique and I have seen what I believe to be it at Mardy's and Ron Lawyers. Of course that would make sense because Alfred sent seed of it. Ron posted a picture of his a while back and you can see they look the very similar. I think Bill Sanford squeezed one out of Ron so let's see what he thinks too.

There seems to be at least three Dypsis sp. 'betafaka' going around that I know of. Alfred's, the "but ugly" one that Ron Lawyer coined years back, and a new one that is similar to the Ambo like plants going around. If you order Dypsis sp. 'betafaka' from Jeff Marcus right now, this is what you get. The "Butt ugly" one is turning out to be a real winner in my opinion for California and Marcus told me and a few others that he would not be surprised if it turned out to be his blue decipiens type palm. Mine in the ground is getting more glaucous with each new leaf, so my fingers are crossed that Jeff is correct. This plant takes full sun fast and grows through winter. So get one if you don't. Jerry Andersen's still has them.

I think Ed's plant is what is going around here are Dypsis Basilonga (not the real one from Bill and Pete, but that healed Madagascarensis looking type one Phil was selling). Matt, look at the Palmpedia photos Ed posted and look at that Dypsis Basilonga if you have one. Don't they look the same?

Actually, I agree with all Len has said except that I would add that if Alfreds turns out to be a medium sized palm, the Palm Ron, Len and I have is it. If it turns out to be a LARGER palm, I think the "true" D. tokoravina is like Alfreds..

Here is a pic of the "true" tokoravina grown in some shade.. when in the sun, the leaves get MUCH tighter together..

[Moose]

Oh, I see we've had this whole conversation before. I feel like what old people don't feel like when they repeat themselves over and over again, because they don't know that they are doing it, and now I know that I am. Right?

Issues with the elderly?