Syagrus duartei Glassman (1968a: 289)

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

16. Syagrus duartei Glassman (1968a: 289) . Type:— BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: Serra do Cipó , 24 August 1961, A.P. Duarte 5706 (holotype RB!)

Figure 23 plate, Figure 20 map.

Small to moderate-sized, solitary palm. Stem 0–2 m × 8–12 cm, usually short prostrate to subterranean, occasionally erect, columnar, angular in appearance with closely spaced leaf-scars arranged in rows. Leaves 6–12 arranged in almost vertical or slightly spiraled vertical rows; sheathing leaf base ca. 20 cm long; pseudopetiole 24– 27 cm long; petiole 3.2–14 × 1.3–1.8 cm, 0.8–1.3 cm thick; rachis 50–90 cm long; leaflets slightly lighter on the abaxial surface, 44–64 along one side, in clusters of 2 or 3 (or 4), inserted at various angles, giving the leaf a plumose appearance, ramenta scales not or rarely present near where the leaflets are inserted on the rachis, and none along the abaxial midvein; basal leaflets 24–30 × 0.2–0.8 cm, middle leaflets 13–34 × 1.3–2.5 cm, apical leaflets 6–9 × 0.2–0.8 cm with an asymmetric tip. Inflorescence erect or pendulous, spirally branched; prophyll 18–22 × 2.5–3 cm; peduncular bract 33–73 cm long, expanded portion 30–45 × 3–6 cm, including a 0.5–2.0 cm beak, 4.5–7.0 cm perimeter, 2–3 mm thickness, narrow, woody, sulcate, exterior with thin indument; peduncle ca. 25–50 cm × 8–9 mm, 4–5 mm, elliptical in cross-section, glabrous; inflorescence axis 15–36 cm long; rachis 7–23 cm long; rachillae 5–8, glabrous, 6.5–18 cm long at the apex, 11–22 cm long at the base; staminate flowers 10–15 mm long at the apex, 16–28 × 4–5 mm at the base, green to yellow, sepals 2–4 × 2.5–3.5 mm, glabrous, with no raised nerves, petals ca. 13 mm long at the apex, 19–20 × 4–5 mm at the base with acute tips, nerves indistinct, stamens 8–10.5 mm long, anthers 6–9.5 mm long, filaments ca. 2 mm long, pistillode less 0.5 mm long; pistillate flowers pyramidal, 17–25 × 6–10 mm, yellow, glabrous, sepals 20–24 × 6.5–9.5 mm, glabrous, no visible veins, strongly keeled, petals 20–22 × 4.5–6 mm, glabrous, with visible veins especially at the base, valvate tips ca. ½ the length of the petal, ca. 2–3 mm long, pistil ca. 10 × ca. 4.5 mm, glabrous or fine waxy indument, stigmas ca. 6 mm long, glabrous, staminodal ring ca. 0.8 mm high, 6-dentate. Fruit 3–3.8 × 2.5–3.2 cm, brown when mature, mostly glabrous, nearly globose, epicarp less than 0.5 mm thick, mesocarp 2–4 mm thick, succulent and fibrous; endocarp 3–3.5 × 2.8–3.0 cm, ca. 5–8 mm thick on the sides, up to 9 mm thick at the ends; seed nearly globose ca. 1.5 cm in diameter, endosperm homogeneous. Germination remote-tubular.

Common name:— coqueirinho, coco-de-lapa, coquinho-da-serra.

68 • Phytotaxa 294 (1) © 2017 Magnolia Press

NOBLICK A REVISION OF THE GENUS SYAGRUS

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Etymology:— The specific epithet, duartei , honors the original collector Apparicio Pereira Duarte (1910– 1984), a Brazilian botanist.

Distribution and habitat:— This species grows in the Serra do Cipó in Minas Gerais, Brazil, and appears to be endemic to this region. It grows in very rocky areas at higher elevations.

Conservation:— This palm species is protected mostly within the boundaries of a national park (Serra do Cipó), and it grows in soils that are not agriculturally valuable. Therefore, this palm is not considered to be threatened and is classified as least concern, LC.

Phenology:— Perhaps flowering and fruiting year around. It has been seen flowering in March/August and it fruits sparsely in spring and summer. The seeds have a low rate of germination and are also slow to germinate.

Uses:— Its rustic appearance makes this a nice ornamental plant for full sun areas. It can tolerate cold, dryness and fire giving this species tremendous landscape potential.

Notes:— Syagrus duartei is similar to S. glaucescens and is surely related to it. Syagrus duartei is usually a smaller or shorter plant often with a reclined or prostrate trunk, and has a fruit that is larger (3–4 vs. 2.5 cm) and more globose in shape (not ellipsoid). The larger peduncular bracts, larger inflorescences and larger globose fruit appear to be good characters, but the number of rachillae (5–8 for S. duartei vs. 5–17 for S. glaucescens ), which has been used in keys, is probably not reliable. Although most individuals of this species are short with reclined or prostrate stems, a few have tall, above-ground stems.

Representative specimens:— Minas Gerais: 1816–1821, A. de Saint-Hilaire 389 (P!); Serra do Cipo , 24 August 1961, A.P. Duarte 5706 ( RB) ; Serra do Cipó- 107 km N of Belo Horizonte, 1300 m, 10 July 1965, S.F. Glassman 8033–8036 (F!, FTG!, RB!, SP!) ; Serra do Cipó, 1940, Freitas & Pedersoli s.n. ( BHCB 1280 !, 13298!); Almeida, beira da estrada para Serra do Cipó , na descida (lado esquerdo), 1200 m, –19.29, –43.60, 21 June 2008, Tsuji et al. 2712 ( HPL!) ; Conceição do Mato Dentro, estrada Santana do Riacho-Serro, km 155, próximo á ponte do rio Santo Antonio , 5 July 1996, V.C. Souza et al. 11758 ( ESA!) ; Santana do Riacho , Usina Coronel Américo Teixeira ( UCAT) , – 19.17, –43.71, 15 April 1985, Andrade s.n. ( BHCB-8883 !, 8885!); Santana do Riacho, Serra do Cipó, 10–20 km E de Cardeal Mota , camino a Conceição de Mato Dentro , –19.33, –43.58, 16 May 1990, M.M. Arbo et al. 4235 ( CTES!, MBM!, SPF!) ; Santana do Riacho , –19.17, –43.71, 25 October 1974, G. Hatschbach 35324 (F!, MBM!) ; Santana do Riacho, Serra do Cipó, Estrada da USINA, 9 January 1981, M.C. Henrique et al. 6895 ( SPF) ; Santana do Riacho , Usina Coronel Américo Teixeira ( UCAT) , –19.17, –43.71, without date, Lopes s.n. (BHCB); Santana do Riacho, 3 km N of the Fazenda & Restaurant Chapéu do Sol and 58 km S. of Conceiçao do Mato Dentro , 1200–1300 m, –19.17, –43.71, 23 March 1992, L.R. Noblick 4854 ( BHCB!, FTG!, MO!, NY!) ; Santana do Riacho, ao longo da rodovia Belo Horizonte-Conceição do Mato Dentro, Santana do Riacho , km 116 ao longo da rodovia Belo Horizonte-Conceição do Mato Dentro. Beira do Rio Santo Antonio , –19.17, –43.71, 19 April 1981, L. Rossi, & M.C.E. Amaral 7267 ( SP!, SPF!) ; Serra do Cipó , –19.35, –43.62, June 1990, K.I. Horst 74 ( MBML!) .

Figures

FIGURE 20. Distribution maps of Syagrus coronata, S. deflexa, S. duartei, S. elata, S. emasensis and S. evansiana.

FIGURE 23. Syagrus duartei. A. Habitat with a few palms. B. Habit with reclined or procumbent stem. C. Habit with a more upright stem. D. Inflorescence with Lester Cline for scale. E. Close up of inflorescence with hand for scale. F. Infructescence. G. Older grayish-brown staminate flowers with green pistillate flowers. H. Large characteristically rounded endocarps. Grid is 0.5 centimeters.