Palms of Madagascar

Palms of Madagascar
(The ones I saw
Debbie Ellis, 10/06)
Madagascar’s place in the world
• The circles show the
places I traveled to.
Beach at Ifaty, Coconut palms
Approaching the Isalo Massif, an endemic palm
species that grows in the savannah grassland
• Bismarckia nobilis
Bismarckia
noblis
A grayer leafed form.
(This one is in an
arboretum)
Not a palm but a
baobab (Adansonia
species), my
favorite tree (and
me standing by it to
give it some scale).
This baobab is 1200
years old. Just had
to show this to you
along with the
palms!
Me with some kids along the road on the, always
interested to see us, on the way to more palms.
Isalo Reserve
Habitat of Dypsis onilahensis
Dypsis onilahensis
There are dozens species in the
genus Dypsis in Madagascar.
Natives call this particular one the
bamboo palm (translated). These are
growing in the Isalo reserve in a
relatively dry area along the Massif
(giant rock) canyon wall.
The palm genus Ravenea, perhaps R.
rivularis. This grows in the moister, shadier
side of canyons in Isalo.
Ravenea
rivularis
The main crop here (rice) and the way it is grown (no
mechanization and a zebu if you are lucky)
Pandanus species
OK, Not a palm but kind of palm-like.
Here they are mixed in with larger Mango trees at the entrance to the Isalo
Reserve. The Massif in the background is a far shot of the habitat of Dypsis
onilahensis.
Pandanus species
Pandanus
species
Why you don’t rub you hand along a Pandanus leaf as you
are hiking by
Pandanaus habitat
in Isalo
More Pandanus habitat
Ringtail lemurs
Ramanofauna National Reserve
(a rain forest)
Madagascar
palm
Ravenala
madagascariensis
(not really a palm but
related to Bird of Paradise).
Close-up of leaf sheaths and
old and young flower stalks
of Madagascar palm
Porter’s Chameleon
Habitat of Neodypsis decaryi,
triangular or triangle palm
Neodypsis decaryi
endemic to Madagascar
• Neodypsis decaryi
Sifikas (dancing lemurs)
That’s all,
Goodbye!