Ceratozamia hildae G.P.Landry & M.C.Wilson, Brittonia 31(3): 422. 1979

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

11. Ceratozamia hildae G.P.Landry & M.C.Wilson, Brittonia 31(3): 422. 1979

Fig. 18

Type.

Cultivated in Baton Rouge , Louisiana USA at 5988 South Pollard Parkway (plants originally from several km N of Xilitla, San Luis Potosí, Mexico), G. Landry 76521 ♂ (holotype: GH! [00003274]; isotypes: FTG!, LSU! [LSU00048484], MEXU! [MEXU00443083, MEXU00443084, MEXU00443085], MICH! [1050284A, 1050284B], NY! [00001153-00001156], US! [00011993]) .

Description.

Stem 10-20 cm long, 10-15 cm in diameter, semi-hypogeous, erect. Cataphylls 2.1-4.2 × 0.8-1.9 cm wide at the base, persistent, triangular, reddish brown, densely brown tomentose at emergence, partially tomentose at maturity, apex acuminate. Leaves 2-7, 95-202 cm long, ascending, reddish brown at emergence with whitish gray trichomes, glabrous at maturity. Petiole 43-89 cm long, terete, linear, greenish brown and green in adult leaves; with 2-12 thin prickles, 0.01-0.2 cm long. Rachis 60-130 cm long, terete, linear, greenish brown in mature leaves, with prickles and occasionally unarmed. Leaflets in 5-11 fascicles, 16-56 leaflets in total, clustered, insertion in one plane, oblong, in general longitudinally planar, basally falcate to non-basally falcate, membranaceous, flat, green with adaxial and abaxial sides glaucous, distal end with entire margins, acuminate and symmetrical to asymmetrical at the apex, attenuate at base, with conspicuous and green-light veins; median leaflets 14.5-24 × 2.4-5 cm, 6-15 cm between leaflets; articulations 0.2-0.5 cm wide, brown and green. Pollen strobili 8-12.5 cm long, 2-2.5 cm in diameter, solitary, cylindrical, erect, brown with reddish brown trichomes at emergence, reddish brown at maturity; peduncle 6-8 cm long, 0.8-1 cm in diameter, tomentose, reddish brown to brown; microsporophylls 0.8-1.2 × 0.6-1 cm, discoid with non-recurved distal face and a lobate fertile portion, infertile portion 0.23-0.29 cm long and rounded with curved horns, 0.20-0.25 cm long, 0.39-0.50 cm and an acute angle between the horns. Ovulate strobili 10-15 cm long, 6-9 cm in diameter, solitary, cylindrical, erect, green at emergence with brown trichomes, green with brown to blackish trichomes at maturity, acuminate apex; peduncle 7.5-16 cm long, 1.2-1.5 cm in diameter, erect, tomentose, brown; megasporophylls 20-56, 5-8 orthostichies with 4-7 sporophylls per orthostichy, 2-3.7 × 2-4 cm, with a prominent distal face, horns straight and 0.30-0.50 cm long, 1.70-1.90 cm between horns with a right angle between the horns. Seeds 1.3-2.3 cm long, 1.2-1.5 cm in diameter, ovate, sarcotesta whitish red when immature, light brown at maturity.

Distribution and habitat.

Ceratozamia hildae is endemic to Sierra Gorda in Mexico, particularly in San Luis Potosí and Querétaro (Fig. 17C ), where it occurs in the evergreen tropical forests on karstic rocks at 300-1,200 m.

Etymology.

The epithet is in honor of Hilda Guerra Walker, daughter of the original collector (Luciano E. Guerra, plant collector from Mission Texas) ( Landry and Wilson 1979).

Common names.

Mexico. Querétaro: Chamalillo, pata de gallo (J. Rees 312).

Uses.

None recorded.

Conservation status.

( IUCN 2021). Ceratozamia hildae is listed as “Endangered” under criteria A2abcd; B1ab(ii,iii,iv).

Discussion.

Ceratozamia hildae is easily distinguished from other members of the group by its clustered membranous oblong leaflets (Fig. 18A ).

Specimens examined.

Mexico. Querétaro: Mun. Arroyo Seco , 1,181 m, 9 Nov 2003, J.A. Pérez de la Rosa & G. Vargas A. 1908 (IBUG). Mun. Jalpan de Serra , 850 m, 29 Dec 1977, A.P. Vovides 337 (XAL) ; 29 Dec 1977, A.P. Vovides s/n (IEB); 1,200 m, 8 Mar1991, B. Servin 870 (MEXU); 1,200 m, 20 Mar 1991, B. Servin 986 (MEXU); 8 Mar 1991, B. Servin 6328 (IEB); 20 Apr 1991, B. Servin 6330 (IEB); Sep 1977, J. Rees s/n (IEB); 312 (XAL). San Luis Potosí: Mun. Aquismon , 300 m, 22 Sep 1977, A.P. Vovides & J. Rees 312 (MEXU, XAL) ; 357 m, 20 Mar 2016, F. Nicolalde-Morejón et al. 2391 - 2406 (CIB); 357 m, 20 Mar 2016, L. Martínez-Domínguez et al. 910-921, 923, 940 (CIB), 922 (CIB, MEXU); 26 Nov 1970, S. Longoria s/n (MEXU; US) ; 617 m, 15 Jan 2001, T.W. Walters TW-2001-14-A (MEXU, XAL), TW-2001-14-B (XAL), TW-2001-14-C (MEXU).

Figures

Figure 17. Distribution of Ceratozamia species A C. euryphyllidia B C. fuscoviridis C C. hildae D C. hondurensis.

Figure 18. Ceratozamia hildae A leaves of an adult plant B leaves of a juvenile plant C mature ovulate strobilus D mature pollen strobilus and microsporophylls.