Ceratozamia norstogii D.W.Stev., Brittonia 34: 181. 1982

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

23. Ceratozamia norstogii D.W.Stev., Brittonia 34: 181. 1982

Fig. 27A

Type.

Mexico. Chiapas: Rancho Fenia, Mar-Apr 1925, C. Purpus 6 ♀ (holotype: NY! [00001116]; isotypes: F! [acc. # 1530231], MO!, US! [00620294]).

Description.

Stem 30-60 cm long, 20-40 cm in diameter, epigeous, erect and decumbent. Cataphylls 4.5-6 × 2.5-6.4 cm wide at the base, persistent, long triangular, reddish brown, densely brown tomentose at emergence, tomentose at maturity, apex acuminate. Leaves 5-48, 50-126 cm long, ascending, copperish brown at emergence with whitish gray trichomes, glabrous at maturity. Petiole 10-49 cm long, terete, twisted, copperish with abundant greyish trichomes in young leaves, copperish and glabrous in mature leaves; with 30-60 robust prickles, 0.11-0.31 cm long. Rachis 40-88 cm long, terete, twisted, copperish with abundant greyish trichomes in young leaves, copperish and glabrous in mature leaves, with prickles. Leaflets 33-91 pairs, opposite to subopposite, insertion irregular to in one plane, linear, in general longitudinally planar, not basally falcate to basally falcate, coriaceous, strongly involute to caniculate, green with yellowish green base and with adaxial side glabrous and abaxial side glaucous, distal end with entire margins, acute and symmetric at the apex, attenuate at base, with conspicuous and light-green veins; median leaflets 14-48 × 0.21-0.46 cm, 0.2-1.3 cm between leaflets; articulations 0.08-0.66 cm wide, yellowish. Pollen strobili 13.2-25 cm long, 3.1-8 cm in diameter, solitary, cylindrical, erect, brown with reddish brown trichomes at emergence, yellowish green to cream at maturity; peduncle 2.0-5.5 cm long, 1.3-2.3 cm in diameter, tomentose, brown; microsporophylls 0.92-1.16 × 0.86-0.1.1 cm, discoid with a non-recurved distal face and a lobate fertile portion, infertile portion 0.36-0.45 cm long and orbicular with straight horns 0.07-0.13 cm long, 0.35-0.56 cm and an acute angle between the horns. Ovulate strobili 21-35 cm long, 8.5-10.5 cm in diameter, solitary, cylindrical, erect, green with abundant blackish trichomes at emergence, grayish green with abundant blackish trichomes at maturity, acuminate apex; peduncle 4.8-9 cm long, 1.8-2.2 cm in diameter, erect, tomentose, brown; megasporophylls 42-63, 6-7 orthostichies with 7-9 sporophylls per orthostichy, 2.6-3.0 × 3.6-4.0 cm, with a truncated distal face, horns straight and 0.37-0.58 cm long, 0.37-0.42 cm between horns with a right angle between the horns. Seeds 2.0-3.5 cm long, 1.1-1.9 cm in diameter ovate, sarcotesta whitish pink when immature, light brown at maturity.

Distribution and habitat.

Ceratozamia norstogii is distributed in mountainous regions in Chiapas and Oaxaca States, Mexico (Fig. 21C ), where it occurs on karstic rocks in pine-oak forest and the transition between pine forest and oak forest between 800-1,650 m.

Etymology.

This species was named in honor of Knut Norstog, for his extensive and significant contributions to cycad biology ( Stevenson 1982).

Common names.

None recorded.

Uses.

None recorded.

Conservation status.

( IUCN 2021). The currect category of threat to Ceratozamia norstogii is “Endangered” under criteria A2abd; B1ab(iii,iv,v); C1.

Discussion.

Ceratozamia norstogii is easily diagnosable by its petiole and raquis twisted. The linear leaflets are coriaceous, strongly involute and appear caniculate and have an acute apex.

Specimens examined.

Mexico. Chiapas: Mun. Cintalapa , 1,100 m, 19 Mar 1993, A.P. Vovides et al. 1230, 1231, 1233, 1235 (XAL); 1,600 m, 3 Nov 1971, D.E. Breedlove 21813 (MEXU, MO) ; 1,600 m, 21 Apr 1972, D.E. Breedlove 24709 (MO) ; 1,600 m, 12 Oct 1979, D.E. Breedlove 44431 (MEXU) ; 800 m, 4 May 1988, E. Palacios E. 375 (CHIP, IBUG) ; 1,240 m, 6 Jun 1993, E. Palacios E. 2155 (CHIP) ; 1,280 m, 22 May 2001, J.M. Lázaro-Zermeño 251 (CHIP) ; 1,038 m, 20 Jun 2018, F. Nicolalde-Morejón et al. 2762-2770 (CIB) ; 1,325 m, 20 Jun 2018, F. Nicolalde-Morejón et al. 2771-2780 (CIB) ; 1,038 m, 20 Jun 2018, L. Martínez-Domínguez et al. 1326 - 1334 (CIB), 1335 (CIB, MEXU); 1,325 m, 20 Jun 2018, L. Martínez-Domínguez et al. 1337 - 1349 (CIB) ; 1,100 m, 5 Oct 1995, M.A. Pérez-Farrera 775 ( CH, CIB, XAL) ; 5 Dec 1996, M.A. Pérez-Farrera 1483 (HEM). Oaxaca: Mun. San Miguel Chimalapa , 1,120 m, 1 Apr 1996, S. Salas-Morales et al. 1173 (SERO, XAL). Mun. Santo Domingo Zanatepec , 800 m, 22 Jun 2018, F. Nicolalde-Morejón et al. 2819-2828 (CIB) ; 800 m, 22 Jun 2018, L. Martínez-Domínguez et al. 1380, 1381, 1383, 1386, 1389-1391, 1394, 1396, 1399 (CIB).

Figures

Figure 21. Distribution of Ceratozamia species A C. mixeorum. B C. morettii. C C. norstogii D C. oliversacksii.

Figure 27. Plants of Ceratozamia in habitat. A C. norstogii B C. oliversacksii C C. robusta D C. sabatoi E C. santillanii F C. tenuis G C. totonacorum H C. vovidesii I C. zaragozae.