Ceratozamia alvarezii Perez-Farr ., Vovides & Iglesias, Novon 9: 410. 1999

Martinez-Dominguez, Lili, Nicolalde-Morejon, Fernando, Vergara-Silva, Francisco & Stevenson, Dennis Wm., 2022, Monograph of Ceratozamia (Zamiaceae, Cycadales): an endangered genus, PhytoKeys 208, pp. 1-102 : 1

1. Ceratozamia alvarezii Perez-Farr., Vovides & Iglesias, Novon 9: 410. 1999

Figs 12B , 15A

Type.

Mexico. Chiapas: Mun. Cintalapa, Rancho El Cafetal , 950 m, 4 Mar 1996, M.A. Pérez-Farrera 889 (holotype: CHIP! [acc. # 14306]; isotypes: F! [acc. # 2193633], HEM! [acc. # HEM004830], MEXU! [MEXU00827362], MO! [acc. # 04882667]) .

Description.

Stem 20-60 cm long, 15-30 cm in diameter, epigeous, erect and decumbent. Cataphylls 2.0-5.0 × 1.5-3.0 cm wide at the base, persistent, triangular, reddish brown, densely brownish tomentose at emergence, partially tomentose at maturity, apex acuminate. Leaves 2-30 (40), 36-125 cm long, ascending, brown at emergence with whitis gray trichomes, glabrous at maturity. Petiole 10-60 cm long, terete, linear, brown in mature leaves; with 11-40 thin prickles, 0.19-0.37 cm long. Rachis 25-87 cm long, terete, linear, brown to greenish brown in mature leaves, with prickles. Leaflets 25-68 pairs, opposite to subopposite, insertion in one plane, linear to lanceolate, generally longitudinally planar, not basally falcate, papyraceous, slightly involute, green with adaxial and abaxial sides glabrous, distal end with entire margins, acuminate and symmetric at the apex, attenuate at base, with conspicuous and light-green veins; median leaflets 12-38 × 0.3-0.9 cm, 0.14-1.30 cm between leaflets; articulations 0.14-0.75 cm wide, brown. Pollen strobili 15-40 cm long, 3.5-5.1 cm in diameter, solitary, cylindrical, erect, yellowish green with brown trichomes at emergence, yellowish cream with blackish brown trichomes at maturity; peduncle 4-10 cm long, 1.5-2.1 cm in diameter, reddish brown to brown pubescent; microsporophylls 1.24-1.56 × 0.59-0.83 cm, elliptic with a non-recurved distal face and a lobate fertile portion, infertile portion 0.50-0.81 cm long and linear with straight horns 0.14-0.30 cm long, 0.45-0.90 cm and an obtuse to acute angle between the horns. Ovulate strobili 17-27 cm long, 7.2-12.3 cm in diameter, solitary, cylindrical, erect, yellowish green with abundant blackish trichomes at emergence, glaucous green with reddish brown to blackish trichomes at maturity, acuminate apex; peduncle 4.0-10 cm long, 1.1-2.2 cm in diameter, erect, with scarce brownish tan trichomes; megasporophylls 20-80, 4-8 orthostichies with 5-10 sporophylls per orthostichy, 2.15-2.80 × 3.90-6.30 cm, with a prominent distal face, horns straight and thin and 0.32-0.51 cm long, 0.69-1.80 cm between horns with an obtuse angle between the horns. Seeds 2.5-3.0 cm long, 2.3-2.9 cm in diameter, spherical, sarcotesta whitish pink when immature, light brown at maturity.

Distribution and habitat.

Ceratozamia alvarezii is endemic to Mexico and only known from Cintalapa and Jiquipilas municipalities in Chiapas State, at the transition zone between pine and oak forest and oak forest; plants occur on karstic rocks between 900 and 1,450 m elevation (Fig. 14A ).

Etymology.

The specific epithet honors Miguel Álvarez del Toro in recognition of its outstanding contributions for conservation in Chiapas and the establishment of its first reserves ( Pérez-Farrera et al. 1999).

Common names.

Mexico. Chiapas: Espadaña cimarrona (L. Martínez-Domínguez et al. 1370); palma, palmita (M.A. Pérez-Farrera 889).

Uses.

The seeds are used as food (M.A. Pérez-Farrera 889).

Conservation status.

( IUCN 2021). Endangered; A2ac; B1ab(I,iii)+2ab(i,iii); C1.

Discussion.

The morphology of Ceratozamia alvarezii is not very different from C. mirandae . At population level, this species differs from C. mirandae by having generally shorter leaves, smaller ovulate strobilus (up to 27 cm long and 5 to 10 sporophylls per orthostichy), and longer seeds.

Specimens examined.

Mexico. Chiapas: Mun. Cintalapa , 1,100 m, 10 Mar 1993, A.P. Vovides 1234 (XAL); 920 m, 21 Jun 2018, F. Nicolalde-Morejón et al. 2791-2799 (CIB); 980 m, 22 Jun 2018, F. Nicolalde-Morejón et al. 2830 (CIB); 1,107 m, 18 Jun 2019, F. Nicolalde-Morejón & L. Martínez-Domínguez 3177-3183 (CIB); 1,350 m, 18 Jun 2019, F. Nicolalde-Morejón & L. Martínez-Domínguez 3186-3196 (CIB); 1,450 m, 11 Oct 1994, J. Castillo et al. 445 (CHIP); 920 m, 21 Jun 2018, L. Martínez-Domínguez et al. 1359-1369 (CIB), 1370 (CIB, MEXU); 980 m, 22 Jun 2018, L. Martínez-Domínguez et al. 1402 (CIB, MEXU); 925 m, 18 Jun 2019, L. Martínez-Domínguez & F. Nicolalde-Morejón 1770 (CIB); 1,107 m, 18 Jun 2019, L. Martínez-Domínguez & F. Nicolalde-Morejón 1771,1772 (CIB, MEXU), 1773 (CIB), 1774 (CIB, MEXU), 1775-1777 (CIB); 1,350 m, 18 Jun 2019, L. Martínez-Domínguez & F. Nicolalde-Morejón 1784 - 1794 (CIB); 900 m, 10 Jul 1994, M.A. Pérez-Farrera 71 (CIB, CHIP, MEXU); 950 m, 5 Sep 1995, M.A. Pérez-Farrera 776 (CIB, XAL); 1,000 m, 27 Mar 2000, O. Farrera S. 2068 (CHIP). Mun. Jiquipilas, 1,200 m, 6 Jun 2002, A. Reyes-García 5017 (MEXU); 1,380 m, 17 Feb 2000, E. Palacios E. 2469 (CHIP); 1,170 m, 7 Jul 1994, M.A. Pérez-Farrera 68 (CIB).

Figures

Figure 12. Seeds of Ceratozamia A C. sancheziae B C. alvarezii C C. brevifrons. D C. subroseophylla.

Figure 14. Distribution of Ceratozamia species A C. alvarezii B C. aurantiaca C C. becerrae D C. brevifrons.

Figure 15. Plants of Ceratozamia in habitat A C. alvarezii B C. aurantiaca C C. becerrae D C. brevifrons E C. chamberlainii F C. chimalapensis G C. decumbens H C. delucana I C. euryphyllidia J C. fuscoviridis K C. hondurensis L C. huastecorum.