Arecaceae FAMILY Vulnerable

Dypsis pilulifera

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Dypsis pilulifera is a solitary-stemmed, evergreen palm that can grow 15 - 20 metres tall. The unbranched stem can be 20 - 40cm in diameter, topped by a crown of 5 - 7 leaves that can each be up to 7 metres long[ 314 Title Palm and Cycad Societies of Australia. Publication Author Website http://www.pacsoa.org.au/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Contains at least a little information on the majority of palm and cycad species, plus a wealth of photographs. A first class website. , 455 Title Flore de Madagascar et des Comores Publication Author Humbert H. Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ Publisher Museum National D'Histoire Naturelle; Paris Year 1946 - 1984 ISBN Description Written in French, an excellent flora of the area though it has not been completed. Available for download from the Internet. ]. The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. An attractive, medium sized, solitary palm with a green trunk and a green through to bright orange crownshaft - it is grown as an ornamental, especially in specialist collections[ 314 Title Palm and Cycad Societies of Australia. Publication Author Website http://www.pacsoa.org.au/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Contains at least a little information on the majority of palm and cycad species, plus a wealth of photographs. A first class website. ]. Although generally a rare palm, it can sometimes be locally abundant. The population size is estimated to be about 400 mature individuals, but this is most likely an under-estimate, but it is certainly less than 1,000. The population is decreasing. Threats to this species include habitat loss through clearance for shifting agriculture and general logging. The palms are also felled for their edible heart and to harvest the seeds for the international horticultural trade. The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2011)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeAfrica - northern and eastern central Madagascar.

HabitatMoist montane and lowland forest[ 314 Title Palm and Cycad Societies of Australia. Publication Author Website http://www.pacsoa.org.au/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Contains at least a little information on the majority of palm and cycad species, plus a wealth of photographs. A first class website. , 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ]. It is usually abundant in flat valley bottoms or on lower slopes at elevations between 300 - 1,400 metres[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].