Dypsis basilonga

(Jum. & H. Perrier) Beentje & J. Dransf.;

Madiovozona

ArecaceaeLeavesShoots

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What to Eat

Edible parts: Palm heart, Cabbage, Vegetable

Leaves - cooked. The palm heart (apical bud) is reported to be an excellent vegetable. Harvesting this heart leads to the death of the plant since it is unable to produce side shoots.

Where to Find It

A tropical plant. It grows between 300-500 m altitude in Madagascar.

Africa, East Africa, Madagascar,

Countries: Angola, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Benin, Botswana, Congo (DRC), Central African Republic, Congo (Republic), Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Djibouti, Algeria, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Comoros, Liberia, Lesotho, Libya, Morocco, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sao Tome & Principe, Eswatini, Chad, Togo, Tunisia, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How to Identify

A solitary palm in the family Arecaceae from Madagascar, growing 2-5 m tall with a trunk diameter of 10-15 cm, found at elevations between 300-500 m. This species is endangered.

Medicinal Uses

The plant (parts not specified but probably the bark and/or the fruits) is used in the treatment of headaches, jaundice and hepatitis; and also as an aid to lactation.

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Dypsis basilonga is a species of flowering plant in the family Arecaceae. It is endemic to Madagascar. It grows in humid, mossy habitat on mountains. It is threatened by overharvesting.

Notes

There are 140 Dypsis species. It is an endangered plant.

Names & Synonyms

Neodypsis basilonga Jum. & H. PerrierNeodypsis basilongus Jum. & H. Perrier

References (7)

Balick, M.J. and Beck, H.T., (Ed.), 1990, Useful palms of the World. A Synoptic Bibliography. Colombia p 121 (As Neodypsis basilongus)
Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H., 1995, The Palms of Madagascar. Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew and The International Palm Society. p 195
Grubben, G. J. H. and Denton, O. A. (eds), 2004, Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 2. Vegetables. PROTA, Wageningen, Netherlands. p 290
Haynes, J., & McLaughlin, J., 2000, Edible palms and Their Uses. University of Florida Fact sheet MCDE-00-50-1 p 5
Johnson, D.V., 1998, Tropical palms. Non-wood Forest products 10. FAO Rome. p 113
van der Burg, W.J., 2004. Dypsis baronii (Becc.) Beentje & J.Dransf. [Internet] Record from Protabase. Grubben, G.J.H. & Denton, O.A. (Editors). PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa), Wageningen, Netherlands. < http://database.prota.org/search.htm>. Accessed 15 October 2009.
World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew