Ceratozamia matudae Lundell, Lloydia 2: 75. 1939

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

17. Ceratozamia matudae Lundell, Lloydia 2: 75. 1939

Figs 7D , 8D-F , 10D

Type.

Mexico. Chiapas: northern slope of Mt. Ovando , 1,000 m, Feb 1939, E. Matuda 2645 ♂ (holotype: MICH! [1002583]; isotypes: CAS! [0001920], MEXU! [acc. # 86830], US! [00620111]).

Description.

Stem 30-50 cm long, 20-30 cm in diameter, epigeous, erect and decumbent. Cataphylls 4-6.0 × 2.5-4.5 cm wide at the base, persistent, triangular, reddish brown, densely brown tomentose at emergence, partially tomentose at maturity, apex acuminate. Leaves 3-14, 80-155 cm long, descending, green at emergence with brown trichomes, glabrous at maturity. Petiole 30-79 cm long, terete, linear, green in adult leaves; unarmed to armed with 18-36 thin prickles, 0.1-0.28 cm long. Rachis 45-76 cm long, terete, linear, green with abundant brown trichomes in young leaves, yellow to yellowish green in mature leaves, unarmed to armed with prickles. Leaflets 23-53 pairs, opposite to subopposite, insertion in one plane, lanceolate, longitudinally curved abaxially to planar, not basally falcate, papyraceous, flat, green with base yellow and adaxial and abaxial sides glabrous, distal end with entire margins, acuminate and symmetrical at the apex, attenuate at base, with conspicuous and light-green veins; median leaflets 23-40 × 0.6-1.3 cm, 0.6-1.7 cm between leaflets; articulations 0.3-0.8 cm wide, yellow. Pollen strobili 9.5-16 cm long, 3.5-5 cm in diameter, solitary, cylindrical, erect, yellowish green with reddish brown trichomes at emergence, yellowish cream with reddish brown trichomes at maturity; peduncle 8-14 cm long, 1.8-2.2 cm in diameter, pubescent, reddish brown to brown; microsporophylls 0.78-1.4 × 0.77-1.1 cm, discoid with a non-recurved distal face and deeply lobate fertile portion, infertile portion 0.37-0.56 cm long and orbicular with straight horns 0.16-0.35 cm long, 0.50-0.81 cm and an acute angle between the horns. Ovulate strobili 8-15 cm long, 5-8 cm in diameter, solitary, globose, erect, yellowish green with abundant blackish trichomes at emergence, dark green with blackish trichomes at maturity, aristate apex; peduncle 11-17 cm long, 1-2 cm in diameter, pendulous, with trichomes scarce, blackish, pendulous and erect; megasporophylls 16-25, 4-5 orthostichies with 4-6 sporophylls per orthostichy, 2.5-3.4 × 4.5-5.3 cm, with a prominent distal face, horns recurved, straight and thin and 0.59-1.50 cm long, 0.92-1.56 cm between horns with an obtuse angle between the horns. Seeds 2.9-4.0 cm long, 1.9-4.0 cm in diameter, globose, sarcotesta whitish yellow to yellow when immature, light brown at maturity.

Distribution and habitat.

Ceratozamia matudae is endemic to Chiapas in Mexico (Fig. 20A ), where it occurs on karstic rocks in evergreen tropical forest at 1,000-1,500 m.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is in honor of professor Eizi Matuda, for his contributions to botany in Mexico.

Common names.

None recorded.

Uses.

None recorded.

Conservation status.

( IUCN 2021). Currently, Ceratozamia matudae is listed as “Endangered” under criteria B1ab(ii,iii,v); C1.

Discussion.

Ceratozamia matudae differs from other Ceratozamia species by its yellow rachis and petiole and leaflets with yellow base and articulations. In addition, the length of the peduncle is the same or longer than the fertile portion of ovulate strobili. The ovulate strobili have an aristate apex, and the megasporophylls have long recurved horns.

Specimens examined.

Mexico. Chiapas: Mun. Acacoyagua , 1,400 m, A.P. Vovides 1069 (XAL); 1,300 m, 9 Jan 1987, D.W. Stevenson et al. 681 (FTG; MO; NY; US) ; 1,000 m, Feb 1939, E. Matuda 2646 (MEXU); 1,420 m, 24 Jun 2018, F. Nicolalde-Morejón et al. 2832-2840 (CIB); 1,420 m, 24 Jun 2018, L. Martínez-Domínguez et al. 1404 - 1409, 1412, 1415, 1416, 1418, 1419 (CIB), 1405, 1407 (CIB, MEXU); 1,480 m, 29 Dec 1993, M.A. Pérez-Farrera 27 (CIB, CH, CHIP, MEXU, USCG) ; 22 Feb 1995, M.A. Pérez-Farrera 142 (CHIP, FTG, MEXU). Mun. Escuintla , 8 Feb 2000, O. Farrera S. 1875 (CHIP). Mun. Siltepec , 1,500 m, 6 Nov 1945, E.H. Xolocotzi & A.J. Sharp 367 (MEXU); 1,500 m, Oct-Nov 1940, E. Matuda 4032 (MEXU; NY) .

Figures

Figure 7. Plants of Ceratozamia in habitat A C. kuesteriana B C. latifolia C C. leptoceras D C. matudae E C. mexicana F C. miqueliana G C. mirandae H C. mixeorum I C. morettii J Epiphytic C. morettii.

Figure 8. Ptyxis in Ceratozamia A-C Ceratozamia miqueliana D-F C. matudae.

Figure 10. Shapes and pubescence of cataphylls and stipules A from left to right: Ceratozamia latifolia, C. delucana, C. morettii at emergence and C. morettii at maturity B cataphylls of C. delucana C stipules of C. morettii D stipules of C. matudae.

Figure 20. Distribution of Ceratozamia species A C. matudae B C. mexicana C C. miqueliana D C. mirandae.