Dypsis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Arecaceae. They are slender, evergreen palms with yellow flowers carried in panicles amongst the pinnate leaves. Many Dypsis species have aerial branching (above the main trunk), a rare growth habit among palms.[2] Some have marcescent leaves that remain attached after death and trap litter for nutrients.[3]

Etymology

The etymology is obscure but may be related to the Greek dypto ‘I dive’ or dyptes ‘diver’.[4] The species are native to Tanzania, Madagascar, and various islands in the Indian Ocean (Mauritius and Comoros). A few are naturalized in other regions, especially in the Caribbean.[1]

Selected species

References

  1. ^ a b Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  2. ^ Forestry Department (1995). "Introduction". Tropical Palms. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ Bramwell, David; Caujapé-Castells, Juli (2011-07-21). The Biology of Island Floras. Cambridge University Press. p. 189. ISBN 978-1-139-49780-0.
  4. ^ Quattrocchi, Umberto (1999). CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names. CRC Press. p. 45. ISBN 978-0-8493-2675-2.