Syagrus pleiocladoides Noblick & Lorenzi (2010b: 37)

Noblick, Larry R., 2017, A revision of the genus Syagrus (Arecaceae), Phytotaxa 294 (1), pp. 448-450 : 448-450

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/phytotaxa.294.1.1
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03A087AB-FF0F-BDF2-0AEC-FD1A023DFCD9
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Syagrus pleiocladoides Noblick & Lorenzi (2010b: 37)
status

Treatment

48. Syagrus pleiocladoides Noblick & Lorenzi (2010b: 37) View in CoL . Type:— BRAZIL. Mato Grosso: General Carneiro, on the road to Cuiabá —BR 070 at km 126.5, coordinates: –15.58, –53.17, elevation 493 m, 21 January 2009, H. Lorenzi, R. Pimenta & R. Campos 6583 (holotype HPL!, isotypes FTG!, K!, NY!, RB!)

Figures 67–68 View FIGURE 67 View FIGURE 68 plates, Figure 65 View FIGURE 65 map.

Short, solitary palm with an overall height of 50–70 cm. Stem generally solitary, short (ca. 20 cm) or subterranean, nearly acaulescent. Leaves nearly 1 m long, 4–9; sheath 2.5–5.0 cm long; pseudopetiole with fibrous margins, 14– 26 cm long; petiole nearly absent to 8–15 × 0.4–1.0 cm, 0.2–0.5 cm thick; rachis 43–81 cm long; leaflets 11–25 along each side of the rachis, linear, very pendulous, bright green, with long acuminate, asymmetrical apex, distributed mostly regularly except at the base where they are irregularly in pairs, inserted in one plane, leaflets strongly deflexed or pendulous; no ramenta scales or tomentum present where the leaflets are inserted on the rachis, and none along the abaxial midvein; basal leaflets 7–22 × 0.1–0.5 cm, middle leaflets 21–35 × 1.0– 1.5 cm, apical leaflets 7–13 × 0.1–0.6 cm. Inflorescence erect, spicate or rarely branched, prophyll 8–13 × 0.8–1.8 cm; peduncular bra ct (6–) 14–37 cm long, expanded part 6.5–12.0 × 0.8–4.2 cm, 1–2 mm thickness; peduncle ca. 10– 20 cm long; inflorescence axis 3–14 cm long; rachis absent; rachilla 1, 3–14 cm long; staminate flowers 8.5–12.0 × 4 mm, sepals fleshy 1 mm long or less, fleshy, petals 7–8 mm long at the apex, 7–11 × 3–4 mm at the base with acute tips, nerves indistinct, stamens 5–6 mm long, anthers 4.5–5.0 mm long, filaments 1.5–2.0 mm long; pistillate flowers pyramidal, 6 × 2.5–3.0 mm at the apex, 12–13 × 6 mm at the base, glabrous, sepals 10–12 × 4–5 mm, petals unnerved, 7.5–9.0 × 3.5–4.0 mm, valvate tips ca. 1/5 the length of the petals, 1.5–2.0 mm long, pistil 6 × 2.5–3.0 mm, glabrous, stigmas 3 mm long, glabrous, staminodal ring ca. 1 mm high, 6-dentate. Fruit ovoid, 2.0–2.3 × 1.3– 1.5 cm, with a short apical beak, epicarp less than 0.5 mm thick, mesocarp, thickness not measured, succulent and fibrous; endocarp 1.9–2.2 × 1.2–1.3 cm, thickness not measured; seed ca. 1.1 cm in diameter with a small central cavity and homogeneous endosperm.

Common name:— coqueirinho-mirim.

Etymology:— The specific epithet, pleiocladoides , alludes to its close resemblance to S. pleioclada from Minas Gerais, which also has strongly pendulous and deflexed leaflets.

Distribution and habitat:— Mato Grosso and Goiás, Brazil, in open cerrado vegetation in rocky areas with sandy and median textured, well-drained soils, at 350–500 m elevation.

Conservation:— This species is fairly abundant and protected within the boundaries of an Indian reservation. Currently, it is classified as least concern, LC.

Phenology:— Fruiting in November.

Uses:— The fruits are eaten by rodents. The plant possesses potential for cultivation in gardens.

NOBLICK A REVISION OF THE GENUS SYAGRUS

NOBLICK

Notes:— This is a nearly acaulescent palm with strongly deflexed leaflets like S. pleioclada , but differs from it in having mostly spicate inflorescences vs. branched inflorescences, straight rachillae vs. gnarled rachillae, a slenderer peduncular bract (2.8–4.2 vs. 5–10.5 cm), a nearly glabrous peduncular bract vs. a peduncular bract covered with brownish tomentum, regularly spaced leaflets vs. clustered leaflets, and finally distinctly different leaflet anatomies ( Noblick 2013a). The two species are separated by hundreds of kilometers with S. pleiocladoides growing in Mato Grosso and possibly western Goiás and S. pleioclada in eastern Minas Gerais. The S. pleiocladoides has thinner leaflets with distantly spaced large vascular bundles (veins) that are attached only to the upper surface of the leaflet along with numerous smaller nonvascular fibers that are found along both the upper and lower surface of the leaflet. Syagrus pleioclada has a thicker leaflet that has larger, more closely spaced vascular bundles that touch both the upper and lower surface of the leaflet along with a few large nonvascular fibers.

Harri Lorenzi discovered S. pleiocladoides in Mato Grosso and successfully introduced it into his garden collections.

Representative specimens:— BRAZIL. Mato Grosso: Barra da Garça, nas proximidades do municipio do Garças , 598 m, –15.85, –52.27, 12 March 2004, H. Lorenzi 4752 ( HPL!) ; General Carneiro, saído de Barra do Garça, ca. 47.5 km do posto Ipiranga na rotatório de B. Garça, –15.72, –52.67, 25 November 2004, R. Tsuji et al. 974 ( HPL!) ; General Carneiro, no km 75, da estrada que liga Barra do Garças a General Carneiro (distante 48 km de Barra do Garças ), no morro do disco voador, 23 September 2008, H. Lorenzi & R. Pimenta 6518 ( HPL!) ; General Carneiro, nas margens da BR 070, km 134, sentido Primavera do Oeste , nas terras indigenas Merurê, 486 m, –15.59, –53.22, H. Lorenzi et al. 6787 ( HPL!) ; Morro do Crista – Serra Azul-Barra do Garças , without date, M. Macedo & A.R. Ferreira 6850 ( UFMT!) .