Cycad Focus:Focus Focus hildae “Bamboo ”

Photos by Bart Schutzman (unless otherwise noted)

Cultivation of eral are different All the species I have Ceratozamia hildae worked with have an extended receptivi- ty period ranging from as early as Janu- by Tom Broome ary to as late as June, with everything in eratozamia hildae is my favorite between This makes it a little harder to C landscape cycad here in Florida It has pinpoint the exact time for each  I an upright habit that is different from have to check all my every two or most other , which have more of a three days during a four month period to fountain form It can be grown in a small- make sure I haven’t missed anything er spot so it makes a great accent plant Ceratozamia hildae is a very attrac- in a larger landscape, but can also be a tive cycad and is easy to grow This plant specimen plant in a smaller landscape should be on every new collector’s list of The leaflets are grouped in unique cycads to try out It can get to be seven bowtie-shaped clusters Typically the feet tall and grows rapidly compared Immature species has green-emergent leaves, but a with many cycads, which is very reward- microstrobilus few rare brown-emergent individuals ing for anyone new to rare cycads Photo by MBC exist in collections (which I find very attractive) This species is easily grown in all of Florida It reacts well to fertilizer appli- cations I have had four flushes of leaves in one year on several individuals in my nursery They also mature fairly fast; males mature in less that five years and females cone in five to six years I have found that a plant with a four-inch stem diameter can produce a cone Cera- tozamia hildae is best grown in partial shade A plant grown in full sun will actu- ally grow very fast, but never looks very good The sun seems to bleach out the Young seedlings of C hildae do not have fasciculated leaflets Megastrobilus leaves and makes them look yellow or burned If they are grown in deep shade, the leaves will look good, but plants will grow much slower and look a little thin Ceratozamias seem to prefer a little more water than some cycads, but as with other species, good drainage is just as important This species has an under- ground stem, so drainage is important if it is grown in a wet area Mounding may be needed if the ground is often saturat- ed This Ceratozamia is very cold hardy and should work well in any part of Flori- da I have known of plants in Florida that sustained no leaf damage after a freeze of 14F I have known of other plants in Texas that had no leaf damage at 12F Even with leaf damage, the plant should survive temperatures much lower than this because of the underground stem, but I have never heard of this species tried at temperatures below the low teens Most cycad species have a three to four week window each year when fe- male cones become receptive and male cones shed pollen Ceratozamias in gen- This well-grown plant is already highly branched Photo by Fe Almira

The Cycad Newsletter Page 10 Phenology in & Nomenclature habitat data, and comparison to a nearby South Florida by Bart Schutzman species, C zaragozae The plants de- scribed by Landry and Wilson were origi- by Jody Haynes ftentimes by coincidence a species is nally brought from the wild in 1960 by Montgomery Botanical Center (MBC) O discovered and described by differ- Luciano Guerra, a well-known plant col- currently has 187 cycad taxa, 1,414 accessions, and 2,688 plants in our ent botanists within a short time of one lector, and were growing in Baton Rouge, ground collection, and at present, another When this happens, the botani- Louisiana in the garden of Dr Walter we collect monthly phenology data cal rule of nomenclatural priority applies; Harman (the founder of the Cycad Soci- on more than 1,500 plants the first validly published name for a ety; see his obituary in the Cycad News- lthough we have fewer than 20 species has priority over later names, letter 25[2]:11) The name C hildae was A plants of Ceratozamia hildae in the which are regarded as synonyms This derived from the latinized form of “Hil- ground, we are able to report some can cause confusion when both names are da,” the name of Mr Guerra’s daughter trends for this species as it grows in our being used in the horticultural trade The plant had been known by Cera- subtropical climate and limestone- This nearly happened in the case of Cera- tozamia “Hilda” informally in the horti- derived soils Plants flush twice and tozamia hildae The paper by Dr Andrew cultural trade since Guerra’s introduction rarely three times per year, primarily in P Vovides and John Rees describing the of the plant May and September (Fig A below) species (they were going to use the name In the trade, one can find plants Although there is some variation in C fasciculata) did not get to press be- labeled C hildae that are only sparingly flushing times, individual plants usually fore Garrie Landry and Marcia Wilson’s fasciculated, ie, they don’t have much exhibit cyclical flushes from year to year description came out in Brittonia in 1979 of the leaflet clustering that Tom Broome Male plants cone once and rarely twice Therefore, it was not used by horticultur- speaks of Many of us believe that this per year, usually beginning in February or al people and did not result in this kind species naturally hybridizes with another March (B) Pollen is then released of confusion The authors wisely decided Ceratozamia growing nearby, considered approximately one month after cone to cease publication of their paper, and by some to be C latifolia Only further emergence (C) Although our sample sizes instead in 1980 published “Datos adicion- research will tell 1) what species the are small for female reproductive ales sobre Ceratozamia hildae Landry et other purported parent is, and 2) wheth- phenology, our data suggest that female Wilson, 1979 ()” in the Mexican er C hildae hybridizes with this nearby plants cone once per year in January- journal Biotica So a fine addendum to species or if the differences merely re- March, become receptive from April-July, the Landry and Wilson paper resulted, flect natural variation in C hildae and mature in February or March the with excellent illustrations (below), following year Rarely, a female plant may cone in September and produce mature seeds the following September

A

B

C

A-C Vegetative and reproductive phenology of Ceratozamia hildae at Montgomery Botanical Center, Miami, Florida Illustration of Ceratozamia hildae in Vovides & Rees’ 1980 paper The Cycad Newsletter Page 11 How the Scientific Description revising the genus was far from my be used in the publication Then came of C hildae came about capabilities Nevertheless, the exposure the time to choose a name for this new to all of the information I had species For the first time ever I will by Garrie Landry accumulated certainly suggested that reveal that my initial preference for a n 1975, my first year in graduate there were species known in horticulture name was not Ceratozamia hildae I I school, I knew I wanted to work with but unknown to science Yes, really wanted to be more innovative - my cycads in some capacity and began undescribed species of Ceratozamia! first preference was Ceratozamia looking at potential taxonomic projects Admittedly, the 1970’s were ideal to “bambusifolia” I liked that name, and I was essentially on my own with minimal cultivate an interest in American cycads - after all, Ceratozamia “Hilda” was also guidance, as there were no true collected mature plants were readily referred to in the trade as the Bamboo cycadologists of that day to confer with available from many sources At times Cycad But I was out to solve a Initially my interest focused on these plants were so abundant in the nomenclatural problem and not create a Ceratozamia I relied heavily on my trade that one could expect to find new one Ultimately I realized that the advisor and friend, Dr Walter Harman, various Mexican genera and species at only people who actually knew and cared for suggestions and support for the ideas almost any nursery along the gulf coast about this unique cycad, the collectors I had about working with this genus Few people of that period seem to give and growers, knew it as “Hilda” To The project seemed feasible at first, much thought to the idea of conservation introduce a new name to an already for here was a genus that was confined of wild populations and to the constant widely known plant, I thought, would geographically to Mexico and Guatemala flow of collected plants across the have only complicated the matter The Furthermore, the number of known borders horticultural trade was filled with species appeared to be a reasonable one One species quickly became my common names, names handed down to pursue based on a preliminary search favorite, Ceratozamia “Hilda”, perhaps from importer to distributor and of the literature I familiarized myself because it was so unique among distributor to collector, and by the time with the then-known species of ceratozamias and because it was it reached the collector, any significance Ceratozamia and quickly discovered that unknown to science while well known in behind the name was almost certainly there were less than a dozen described horticulture When I first proposed lost I recall a perfect example, species, but so many horticultural names describing a species from horticultural Ceratozamia “Thomas and Charlie” It that the idea of resolving some of these material to Dr Harman and those at FTG was not until I had traveled into Mexico potentially unknown or misidentified it was very well received Crafton Cliff, several times that I realized the name species became the premise for a the FTG horticulturist at that time, who was the corrupted name of the small research project I was too naïve to was surprised to learn of my intentions, town Tamazunchale, a favorite spot in realize the extreme complexity of applauded the idea I was encouraged by Mexico for bird watchers and plant Ceratozamia and that a revision of the many to do so collectors Yet most people only knew genus was far beyond the capabilities of If I was to describe a new species the plant as C “Thomas and Charlie” So a master’s degree project Nevertheless, from horticulture, I had to be absolutely in the end, I decided to simply latinize I pursued my interest in Ceratozamia by convinced that it was unknown and had the name “Hilda” to hildae, thereby visiting botanical gardens and herbaria to not been previously described under retaining the original identity of this see their specimens A small Sigma XI some obscure name A complete review amazing plant The description was grant partially funded a trip to visit the of the known species of Ceratozamia and submitted to Brittonia for publication and national Herbarium in Mexico City (MEXU) their botanical descriptions was first on subsequently accepted Ceratozamia where I studied and photographed the list of things to do Fortunately, hildae was now a valid species specimens for later comparisons with Ceratozamia “Hilda,” with its clustered horticultural specimens Several trips leaflets, was so unique among all cycads were made to Fairchild Tropical Garden that the literature would surely reveal if (FTG) There I met with Stanley Kiem, it had been previously described After a Crafton Cliff, Nina Woesner and Mary year or more of literature research, I was Collins, who were very generous with convinced that it was not Others around their knowledge and time The garden’s me were convinced long before I was collection was without a doubt the best Now the task at hand was to actually in the eastern US, affording me the describe it For help, I turned to Marcia opportunity to observe many mature Wilson, who intimately knew the person cultivated specimens During that time, responsible for the first introduction of which coincided with the inception of the this cycad into cultivation and the reason Cycad Society, I met many knowledgeable behind the peculiar but so familiar name people, among them the late Marcia C of “Hilda” Marcia supplied me with Wilson of Brownsville TX Marcia and I information about its location in Mexico became great friends and I thoroughly and the history of its discovery I elicited enjoyed my visits to her home, each time the help of renowned mycologist and learning more about the complexity of Latin scholar Dr Bernard Lowy of LSU, Ceratozamia It was during periods of whose help in the Latin description of the researching the literature, and observing plant was invaluable Dr Walter Harman both herbarium and horticultural offered specimens from one of his specimens that one species of cultivated plants for designation as the Ceratozamia really stood out as unique in type material A botany student and so many ways The more I learned the friend at LSU, Scott W McReynolds, more I began to realize that the idea of offered to do the drawing of “Hilda” to Unidentified Ceratozamia sp with receptive megastrobilus

The Cycad Newsletter Page 12 Notes on Ceratozamia hildae Ceratozamia populations in Mexico as C hildae) “Si, hay!” He responded (Yes, By Jeff Chemnick possible, one of the many goals was to it is here!), telling me that he had such a rediscover the type locality of C hildae plant in his backyard but that the leaves c eratozamia hildae has long been one The original description by GP Lan- were longer and the leaflets were in of the most enigmatic neotropical dry & MC Wilson, Brittonia 31: 422 clusters rather than uniformly arranged species for several reasons Though (1979) has an unfortunate typographical like my sample This was sufficient infor- widely represented in collections error which claims an elevation of 3600 mation to get everyone very excited I throughout the world due to extensive km (approx 2200 miles)! Perhaps one followed him into his house where he collecting in the seventies and subse- result was to give the cycad world the explained the situation to his wife who quent propagation, the wild population impression that C hildae was a montane eyed us with a bit of uncertainty Fortu- was thought to be extinct because no one species Several of the cycad enthusiasts nately she consented to our passage to apparently had seen the plant in situ for I know that have gone in search of C the backyard to see the garden At first I a couple of decades Though various hildae have looked long and hard in areas couldn’t see any cycad at all because the botanists as well as cycad fanciers had of high elevation Our working hypothe- leaves on his plant were so tall that they gone in search of C hildae over the sis was that the error was in units and eluded my search image Then there it years, it seemed to have vanished from that instead of “km” the authors meant was! A plant of C hildae with 3m leaves! its purported type locality and was large- “ft” Certainly 3600 feet would be the His response to my question about where ly regarded as extirpated due to over- correct elevation for a number of Cera- his plant came from was to strap on his collecting and  An- tozamia species and seemed a good place machete, tell his wife he would be right other paradox existed around the ease for us to begin our search The day we back, and exclaim “Vamonos!” Buzzing with which this species can be propagat- arrived to begin our search, we indeed now with anticipation, our group quickly ed in southern Florida Long thought to found several dirt roads that our topo- loaded up water, cameras, field equip- be a high elevation species, it seemed to graphic maps indicated would transect ment and rubber boots for the hike contradict the cultivation experiences of upward through such elevations and Though our guide was in his seventies, he other montane Ceratozamia species, perhaps through habitat that still was outpaced us all as he effortlessly moved which do not readily cone and lend them- sufficiently intact that it might contain over the extremely slippery karst sub- selves to easy propagation in lowland some remaining wild plants But unfortu- strate en route to the population Only a tropical climes Furthermore, though the nately (or fortunately as we later found 20 minute walk from his house, we finally fasciculate leaflet arrangement (whorls out), the recent rains had turned our came face to face with some wild plants or clusters bunched together) on the roads into a muddy mess which our vehi- After an hour or so of canvassing the rachis is more typical, nonfascicled plants cle could not traverse After several area, we found upwards of 50 specimens, are known in many collections This has attempts to gain elevation only to slip including several non-fascicled individuals lead some to conclude that perhaps the and slide and nearly tumble off the road which, curiously, seems to match the fascicled C hildae were aberrations of completely, we were forced to retreat to approximate ratio of wild collected some kind and had been selected out of a the lower elevations whence we came It plants seen in cultivation The elevation? population that contained many more of was hot and humid and we were rather 360 meters No wonder this supposed the non-fascicled types giving a false frustrated to add our names to the list of “high elevation” plant did so well in impression of the more typical morpholo- those who had come in a fruitless at- Florida! No wonder it was thought to be gy tempt to find a wild C hildae popula- extinct Wet and muddy but very When the Montgomery Botanical Cen- tion But as we were slowly heading pleased to have documented at long last ter of Miami, Florida joined forces with back, we came across a local fellow that C hildae is very much alive and well GannaWalskaLotusland of Santa Barbara, standing in front of his house Mostly out in the wild California and the Institute of Ecology in of habit and perhaps some desperation, I With respect to cultivation in Santa Xalapa, Veracruz (and future site of the showed him a leaf that we had recently Barbara, I can attest that it will grow 2005 International Cycad Conference) collected of C microstrobila (which is outdoors year round but doesn’t begin to several years ago to sample as many wild the most similar in general appearance to produce leaves of the length we saw in Mexico Rather, leaves of 1m+ are typi- cal When grown in full sun, the leaflets will often produce a waxy, glaucous bloom that gives the plants an almost bluish appearance from a distance Plants growing in Santa Barbara typically produce two to four leaves and look best when grown in clusters I know of a pair of plants growing side by side in a nearby garden that happen to be male and fe- male The plants seem to cone every other year and though the owner never pollinates the female cone, it has pro- duced upwards of a dozen viable seed on several occasions Because C hildae is distinctive, leaf friendly, and easily grown, it makes a wonderful addition to any cycad garden whether in the highlands, lowlands, trop- ics or California Male plant of C hildae with microstrobili Photo by Bijan Dehgan

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