I just received some dypsis hovomantsina seeds from ortanique.  Anyone have any helpful hints with germination?  I heard these can be tough.  Any help is appreciated.

Nick

Nick,

I ordered 100 of these from Ortanique early last year. Used no bottom heat, and they germinated in about 3 months time. 77% germination rate. Just potted them up last week into 1G pots. Seems to be tough little plants with vigorous roots. No wimps here! And I certainly wouldn't call them tough to germinate.

Bo-Göran

Bo,

Thanks for the info! Very encouraging!

Nick

Bo,

Forgot to ask if your seeds were more globose rather than obovoid like the book describes.  Mine certainly do.

Nick

Sorry, don't remember. And I forgot to take a photo of them...

Hi All

This palm must be the second slowest palm in madagascar! although it might grow a little faster in Hawaii. I would like to see some photos of this species if any one has some larger ones? ???

Clayton.

I'll second that Clayton , its so frustrating seeing a palm mentioned here , and when you try and find a pic somewhere , nothing !!

When they're little 2 leaf seedlings they look just like D. lastelliana to me.  And I'm talking about the seedlings Jeff Marcus/Floribunda was selling last year.

Hi Matt B

I think you are mixing D hovomantsina with D.sp Hovomandrina Australian mealy bug palm, or high land lastelliana, this one looks like lastelliana the other one D.Hovomansina looks more like a ravenea as a seedling at a guess it might end up looking  something like that dypsis sp, the one that Jeff Marcus is standing beside in those latest photos from Bo but who knows it’s going to be at least 50 years before mine are that big, and some of mine are at least 10 years old now.

If I can find them!  ???

Hi Michael

Are there any large ones up there? Or should I say larger ones?

Clayton.

Just wanted to add that the D. hovomantsina seedlings I have look nothing like a D. lastelliana seedling.

Ahhhhhh, Clayton you're right, I'm getting mixed up.  D. hovitrendrina is the one the Jeff Marcus is selling that looks like redneck.  The D. hovomantsina that I have, from Jungle Music, seems to have a very angular, short stem with heavily corrugated leaflets.  Am I on track now?

Dypsis mystery solved!  We can all go home now.  There's nothing to see here people!

If you want to see what Dypsis hovomantsina looks like, go to PALMS 44(3) p 131 - it's a great palm

Anyone there in Hawaii have picture of what was sold before as D. hovomantsina?

I have a suspicion. What has been sold as D. hovomantsina in the past is not. This seed was sold to me as D. hovomantsina, D. manjato, D. green bresy, D. red bresy, D. tananbe. All batches of seed looked the same. I have some larger plants in Costa Rica. They now resemble D. Tsaravoasira. Matches the description in the book. Also picture in the new field guide looks like what I got going in C.R.. So far mine look to be tris. On page 156 POM. allied specimen: Local name is Buresy!

This is what I have as Dypsis hovomantsina. But with nothing to compare it with, who knows. I'm sure some of you others have this same similar looking palm.

Jeff

One more look at it.

Jeff

This next one came in as Dypsis manjato, which I'm sure others have this one too. I can't find any info. on this name, and question if it really is a valid species. Maybe John can shed some light on clearing this one up for us.( Name wise at least)

Jeff

Another look

One last look at the base.

They look pretty similar to me Jeff.

I have a 1 gallon tree with closely-spaced leaflets just like your bigger one.

This might help with identity confusion. I took these photos in the northeast of Madagascar. Subsequent to my trip photos of the same Dypsis hovomantsina were published in the Palms journal just as J. Dransfield has stated. My photos are of two different individuals growing next to each other. Sorry about the photo quality.

IMO the most beautiful palm on the island. In person this palms was absolutely breathtaking. Hopefully soon, seed of this palm will make it out correctly identified; I would love to see this palm planted in many gardens.

I got one due to your enthusiasm your last year's post, Jason.

Thanks Jason, Just what I thought it would look like. What we have been growing as D. hovmantsina is probadly not! POM, page 150 says leaves are spirally inserted. Look at the leaves in Jeff's pictures. They don't like they will turn out to the same palm in Jason's picture. Just my observation without flowers of course. This palm is slow! I probadly won't be around when it flowers!