White petiole dypsis

Chrysalidocarpus leucomallus was first described as Dypsis leucomalla and was previously grown under the nursery name “white petiole.” It is a robust, single-stemmed palm from Madagascar, distinguished by dense white and brown wool on its leaf sheaths and a conspicuous white covering on the petiole. [Kew](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/77314639-1) recognizes the current name; the original [International Palm Society description](https://palms.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/vol57n4p199-203.pdf) records its distinctive form. ## Form and scale The botanical description reports stems to at least 5 m, with six to ten arching leaves in the crown. The petiole is often very short but can reach 75 cm, and the woolly sheath becomes less white and more reddish as the palm matures. This makes the species a dramatic collector’s palm where there is room for a substantial crown. ## Siting The authors connect the original cultivated plants with seed collected from Madagascar’s eastern escarpment forest, while noting uncertainty about one reported locality. They do not provide a dependable garden zone, soil, sun, or irrigation prescription. Keep the plant in a warm, humid collection and use a freely draining medium while observing how an established specimen responds. ## Maintenance Protect the crown from cold and prolonged drying, and avoid removing healthy leaves or the woolly petiole covering. Prune only dead fronds with clean tools. The species account documents its form and flowering in cultivation but does not establish a standard mature spread or a reliable upper height.