l9(r9l READ: NEW COLPOTHRINAX Colpothrinax Cookii-A New Species from Central America RosunrW. Rn.q.o

National Research Council Visiting Research Associate, Department oi Botany, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C'r

In an unpublished manuscript found a distinctly new as was thought arnong some palm specimens in the by Dr. Cook; rather it is a secondspe- L nited States National Herbarium, Dr. cies o{ the formerly monotypic Cuban O. F. Cook, formerly of the Bureau of genusColpothrinax, a genuswhich Cook "An Industry, wrote: unknown himself maintainedas quite distinct from fan palm was found in March, 1902,in a the Polynesian genus Pritchardia as do r ery mountainousdistrict in the depart- I, in opposition to the conclusions of rnent of Alta Vera Paz in easternGuate- Beccariand Rock (Memoirs of the Ber- 'Ihe rnala. sameplace was visited again nice P. Bishop Museum B(f):f-77. in May, 1904, when additional speci' 1921). A comparisonof some of the mensand photographswere secured.. ' . more obvious differencesto be seen in The new palm proved difficult to classify herbarium material is given in Table 1. and seemedto have very little affinity l-ith any other group of.palms previ- Colpothrinox Cookii R. W. Read, ously described from North America." sp.nou. Dr. Cook consideredthe new palm as Palma 7-B m. alta, trunco erecto representing a distinct genus and was columnarica. 35 cm. in diam.; foliorum preparing to publish this new monotypic vaginae apex adversuspetiolum longis- genus in the year 1913. Although the simus lingui{ormis (ca' 75-100 cm' paper reached the page-proo{ stage in longus), in fibras tenuespendulas tan' one journal it was rvithdrawn from pub- dem solutus; rachillae dense hirsutae; lication for some unknown reason and florum calyceshirtelli, petala persisten- journal' recommended {or a different tia; fructus ca. 20-22 mm. in diam. Dr. Cook then revised his manuscript, Trunk columnar, 7-B m' high, ca. 35 added an analytical key, and elaborated cm. in diam. above the base, tapering on what he considered related genera. just below the crown to about 10 cm. "increasing This second manuscript was scheduled in diam., gradually in thick- "attenuate, {or publication in 1914 but, again, did ness with age" becoming not appear and has thus remained longitudinally ridged and fissured" (O. among the specimensof this undescribed F. Cook), clothedwhen young with an species{or the past55 years. abundanceoI persistenL.coarsel) woven Critical studiesof the Guatemalancol- {ibers derived from deterioration of the lections and manuscript, and compari- leaf sheath; youth{ul but mature have left no sonswith other known taxa with the upper trunk obscured by ex- is in- doubt that an undescribedspecies ceedingly long, {ine, pendulous sheath not represent volved. However, it does fibers: crown of 20-30 leaves; leaf sheath of young plants tubular, 50-75 " All photographs courtesy o{ the U. S. Na' tional Herbarium, Smithsonian Institution. cm. long, with the apical margin very PRINCIPES tVol. 13

l. An immature plant of Colpothrinax Cookii R. W. Guatemala, 19691 READ: NEW COLPOTHRINAX t5

T,1el1rl. A comparisono'f some ol the more obuious dillerences betweenColpothri- Laxdnd Pritchardia exhibited'by herbarium specimens.

Colpothrinax Pritchardia

Petallobes Persistentor tardily decid- Deciduousat anthesis,cori- uous,fleshy, lightly lacu- aceous,deeply lacunate nate inside, attached inside, attachedonly par- acrossentire width of the tially acrosswidth of the stamen-tube. stamen-tube,with free basallobes. Calyx Fleshy,nerves lacking. a ";lX"r:."., nerves conspic-

Stamen-tube Equalling or only slightly Greatly exceedingthe co- exceedingthe corolla- rolla-tubein height. tube in height. Anther connective Very narrow, light-colored Broad, dark-coloredwhen when dry. d.y. Carpels Completelyfree. One-halfconnate externally. Seed With more or lessthickened Without thickenedor in- or intruded integument. truded integument. Embryo Lateral. Basal. Number of primary 4-7. r-2 (-4). infiorescencebranches slightly (ca. 3-4 cm.) Iinguiform oppo- scales like those of the sheath, convex site the petiole, densely lepidote with and densely lepidote abaxially, glabres- large, coarse, spreading, ferrugineous, cent in age but minutely puncticulate basifixed scalesintermixed with lighter- from the bases of the fallen scales, colored,closely appressed, peltate scales, margins acute, apex continuing into the the {ormer restricted to the sheathing blade abaxially as a short, abruptly nar- uortion and the latter continuousaround rowed costa ca. 18*32 cm. long, and lhe thickenedpetiolar portion, the sheath adaxially as a hastula; hastula triangu' glabrous inside except below the inser- lar, acute to sharply apiculate, 2.3-3.0 tion of the petiole where large ferru- cm. Iong and slightly broader than the gineous scalesoccur, sheathsof mature petiole, margins thinly chartaceousto plants with progressivelylonger lingui- coriaceous, overlapping the blade {orm apices, these fraying into loose slightly; blade shortly costapalmate,di- fibrous strands 75-100 cm. long which vided into 50-60 segments connate a/:t-Yz are pendulous among the leaf bases, basally for ca. their length, each sheathsof very old plants much shorler, trullate in outline, 4.0-5.5 cm. wide shaggy; petiole 3-4 m. long on Young (measured at the broadest point) cen- plants,ca. 1.3 m. long on mature plants, trally, and ca. I25 cm. long, entire or free portion usually ca. 60-70 cm. long, bifid at the apex, lacking fiber strands 2.7-3.0 cm. wide at the junction with in the sinus between the segments, the sheath, ca. 2-3 cm. wide at the base densely appressedlepidote when unex- of the hastula, shallowly concave and panded, the scales somewhat persistent densely lepidote adaxially with mixed on the major nervesas the blade expands 16 PRINCIPES [Vol. 13 to an almost flat but strongly plicate orbicular form, surface, exclusive of major nerves,glabrous adaxially, densely hyaline-lepidoteabaxially. Inflorescencesnumerous per , in- terfoliar, arcuate from the axils of the lower living leaves,robust, shorter than the petioles,ca. 90-100 (-120) cm. long, the peduncle densely ferrugineous-velu- tinous, ca. 6 cm. broad at insertion, ab' ruptly narrowed to ca. 2 cm. and then gradually smaller beyond each node o{ which there are 15 20, internodesshort basally, becoming progressively longer toward the apex, ca. 2_8 cm. long, each node bearing a ferrugineous'squamate tubular bract which enclosesthe lower portions of the next higher bract and the base of the primary branch including its bracts; lowermost bract (prophyll) of the inflorescencebicarinate, ca. 2I cm. long, glabrous or glabrescentadax- ially; the secondbract inserted about 2 cm. above the insertion of the first, tu- bular with an oblique aperture, sharply pointed and carinate below the p,oint, equally squamateon all sides, the next 5-6 bracts similar to the secondbut the carina becoming progressivelyreduced; the {irst 9 bracts empty and the remain- der each enclosing a primary branch: primary branches 3-7, ca. 35-40 cm. long, twice-branchedwith about 15 ra- chillae, peduncles o{ the primary branches free from the main rachis nearestthe base of the inflorescencebut becoming progressivelymore adnate to the rachis toward the apex of the in{lo- rescence,each pedunclebearing 1-3 tu- bular secondary bracts (the peduncles and their bracts almost entirely enclosed young first 2. A closeup of the bud region of a within the primary bracts), the plant of Colpothrinax Coo'kii R. W. Read, secondary bract bicarinate, glabrous showing the long pendulous fibers from the adaxially, squamateabaxially, much in- leaf sheath. flated above, acutely pointed apically, almost completely enclosing the second (and third when present) tubular, terete, slightly carinate bract which is usually READ: NEW COLPOTHRINAX

Unexpanded leaf blades ol Colpothrinax Cookii showing the short costa extending into the abaxial surface; leaf from a young plant on the le{t. PRINCIPES [Vol. 13

,i:r

4. A single primary branch, post anthesis, and the adaxial surface of an unexpanded leaf blade showing the hastula. The inflorescence and the leaf on the left are {rom the type collection, Cook & Griggs116. 1969) READ: NEW COLPOTHRINAX

'iii,' ii: ' : ..1.. :'ii:' .i .

lnflorescences from the type collection of Colpothrinax Cookii R. W. Read, the one on the left with all the bracts and primary branches removed' PRINCIPES [Vol. 13

Immature {ruit still attached to the primary branch oI Cook & Doyle 163, collected years later but in the same locality as the type oI Colpothrinax Cookii. 19691 READ:NEW COLPOTHRINAX 2I rnore densely squamateabaxially, or if the raphe, which extendsfrom the base the ultimate then densely squamate on to apex (Cook wrote that the raphe was "strongly all sides, each division of the primary fibrous" but only weak fibers, branch subtended by a smaller non- when rarely present, have been seen); sheathing bract but the division some- endosperm homogeneous; embryo lat- times adnateto the rachis of the branch eral opposite the raphe, indicated by a for some distance above the bract, all distinct prominence on the testa. ares densely ferrugineous-hirsute,each Vernacular narne. In the original 'oThe rachilla 6-15 cm. long, 3-4 mm. thick, manuscrint Cook wrote: native l.ith 15-30 widely spaced flowers ca. name of th'bpal- in the Kekchi language 'xan', 'shan', 'x' 3 4 mm. apart, the floral scars conspic- is or the letter being 'sh' uous when dry as slightly raised areas the usual equivalent of in Spanish subtendedby a minute, narrowly trian- transliterationsof the Mayan languages. sular or lanceolate bracteole: flowers At Cahabon, only a {ew miles to the solitary, bisexual; pedicels inconspicu- north of the Senahu, the same name 'xan'is ous, ca, 0.5 mm. long; calyx of 3 con- applied by a different branch o{ nate sepals, fleshy, densely hirtellous, the Kekchi people to a true palmetto solid and stipitate basally, tubular and palm, a speciesof Inodes." The generic cupulateabove with three short acute or name proposedby Cook in 1913, was attenuateprominances or lobes extend- translated by him as meaning literally, "head-of-hair ing to about % the length of the petals; fiber," alluding to the un- petals 3, {leshy, connate basally into a usual developmentof hairlike {ibers aris- tube equallingthe calyx, free and valvate ing from the sheath apex and hanging above, then boat-shaped, acute and among the leaf bases. slightly apiculate at the apex, only Specimens examined,. GUATEMALA. slightly lacunate inside, reflexed at an- Dept. Alta Yera Paz: Sepacuitecoffee thesis, persistent on developing fruit, estate,a few miles north of Panzos,on lacking an abscissionline, attached to the northern slopeof the principal range stamen-tubeacross entire base; stamens of mountains crossed in leaving the 6, filaments connate basally into a tube Polochic Valley, at an altitude of nearly where adnateto the petal tube, narrowly 1,200 metersoMarch 22, 1902, O. F. subulateabove, not incurved at the apex, Cook & R. F. Griggs 716 (holotype, anthers tetrasporangiate and introrse, US: isotype, BH) ; March 22, I9O2, linear, retuse apically, bifid basally, O. F. Cook & R. F. Griggs 115 & 117 dorsifixed, erect in bud, versatile at an- (US) ; May 9,1904, O. F. Cook & C. B. thesis, connective inconspicuous,light- Doyle 163 & 166 (IJS). PANAMA. colored, narrow; pollen monocolpate Prov. PanamS: Cerro Jefe, March 14, with a strongly reticulate exine; carpels 1964, R. L. Dressler 2898 (TJS). three, completelyfree exceptthe slender According to Cook's manuscript, "This filiform connate styles,stigmatic region new fan palm was growing in oo2 simple, apparently smooth: fruit or company with a pinnate leaved "Unlike 3 from the sameflower, . . . dark brown" palm, . ." and most of the spe- (ripe?), subpyriform, slightly flattened ciesthat inhabit the surrounding forests, apically, ca. 22 mm. long, 17-20 :m:m. these . are not undergrowth palms, "sur- in diam., stigmatic remains apical, but occupy exposed summits and the face rimose, outer layer corky, becoming crestsof narrow ridges. There the forest pulpy underneath,"; seed dark btown, is somewhatopen, and the shade is not subglobose,lighter greyish-brown along so dense as to keep the young palms 22 PRINCIPES tVol. 13 from growing. Eventually they emerge ium specimens.The information for C. above the other and secure full Wrightii is taken from the following exposureto the sun." Cuban specimens,all at the U. S. Na- The two species o{ Colpothrina,x ate tional Herbarium: A. H. Curtiss 364, contrastedbelow, using charactersnor- N. L. Britton & Percy Wikon 14548, mally found in descriptions or herbar- and I. G. Iack 8269. Colpothrinax Cookii Petal lobes Persistentwithout a line Tardily deciduous with a clear 'line I of abscission. of abscission. Calyx Hirtellous. Glabrous. I Stamen-tube Equalling connateportion of Exceedingconnate portion of petals. petals. Rachillae Denselyhirsute. Glabrous. Fruit size 2V25 mm. in diam. 10-15 mm. in diam. Apex of leaf Extremely long-linguiform, Short-linguif orm, breaking up sheath breaking up into long into coarse,interwoven, non- (?5-f00 cm.), fine, pendulousfibers. pendulousstrands. Trunk form Columnar. Strongly fusiform.

WHAT'SIN A NAME? which means, according to information received by Toshihiko Satake at the Na- "a Neophloga (knee o fl6 ga) is derived tional Museumin Paris, sprout which from the Greek prefix neo (new) and the cannot be eaten" perhaps because the generic name Phlo,ga, thus meaning bud is not edible. "new Phloga,." Presumably this name Syagrus (sigh 5g russ) was the name was used because of a resemblance to of a kind of palm tree in Latin and was Ph,loga,but the author of it provided no apparently used by Pliny though cer- explanation. tainly not for the Brazilian genus of Phloga (fl6 ga) was taken from the Martius. Greek phlox (with the genitive form Vonitra (vo n6e tra; voo n6e tra) phlo,gos) meaning a flame. The name was taken from the common name for was proposed by Noronha without an Vonitra Thouarsiana, which is known accompanyingdescription and was later as uonitra in the Malagasy language. validly published by Martius. Neither Vonitra is defined as "a palm, from the writer gave any reason for applying the stem of which a kind of potash is ob- name to a palm of Madagascar. tained" in James Richardson's A New Sindroa (sin dr6 a) is modified from Malagasy-English Dictionary, Antar'ar'- the Malagasy vernacular name sind'ro arivo, Madagascar,1885.