Vol34n3p108-119
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r0B PRINCIPES [Vor. 34 Principes,34(3), I990, pp. 108-119 A New Speciesand Synopsisof a Distinctive and Natural Subgroup of Chamaedorea Doxero R. Hooru ANDNATALTE W. Usr Unioersity ofCalifornia, 2615 S. Grand Aae., Suite 4O0, Los Angeles, CA 900O7, and L. H. Bailey Hortorium, 467 Mann Library, Cornell Uniuersity, hhaca, NY 14853 Recent work in support of a project on means that the lower margin of a leaflet along the rachis, often Chamaedorea in cultivation that will be extends downward.When publishedby the International Palm Soci- to the next leaflet. examinedclosely ety in l99l has enabled us to gain an the rachis appears to be winged between understandingof a distinctive and natural adjacent leaflets. Although this is a con- subgroup within the genus. This group of stant feature within a speciesof this group, about five or so speciesis distinguishedby it varies from speciesto species.Some a combinationof charactersincluding their specieshave the leaflets with their lower acaulescenthabit, Iong-pedunculateinflo- margin only briefly decurrent while others rescencesarisilg from the baseof the plant, have their margins decurrent all the way the pinnaewith the lower margin decurrent to the next lowest leaflet. This character on the rachis, and pinnate eophylls. For is easily overlookpd, especially on dried lack of a better term, we have called this herbarium material. It is most easily seen "pinnatifid associationof speciesthe group" on living material and is especiallynotice- but, at this time, have given it no laxo- able on one- and twoleaf seedlings. nomic status. It is, however, a member of Finally, the eophyll is pinnatealthough subgenusChamaedoropsis Oerst. by vir- there may be an exception to this since, tue of a combination of characters includ- unfortunately, we did not have the oppor- ing the persistent fruiting perianth and the tunity to observe seedlingsof the simple- solitary staminate flowers with apically leaved forms of C. pygrnaea. The only spreadingpetals. other speciesof the genus with a pinnate Although appearing acaulescent,mem- eophyll is C. elegans which differs sub- bers of the pinnatifid group actually pos- stantially from those in the pinnatifid sessa short, creepingstem (Fig. l) at or subgroupin floral structure, inflorescence, near the ground and often buried in the and habit. The pinnate eophyll is an leaflitter ofthe forestfloor. The nodesare extremely attractive feature and plants are very prominent and densely placed, the highly prized, even as small seedlings(Fig. internodesas short as I mm and no more 3). than 5-7 mm long. The inter- or infrafoliar Another interesting, yet somewhatcon- inflorescences are erect-ascending and fusing, feature of membersof the pinnatifid. often arcuate. Frequently they appear to group is that they tend to flower when very be emergingfrom the soil or leaf litter since young and smallo even when as little as the stem is usually wholly below the ground one-fifth their eventual size. When this or leaf litter. occurs, all parts of the plant are corre- The lower margins of the pinnae are spondingly small. Leaves and inflores- decurrent along the rachis (Fig. 2). This cencesare much reduced and have fewer r9901 HODEL AND UHL: A CHAMAEDOREASUBGROUP 109 and/or shorter parts including pinnae, 3. Margins of pinnae not undulate, pistillate rachil- peduncles,rachillae, and bracts. Pinnae of lae t straight or only slightly curved. ...............,..4 4. Pistillate inflorescencespicate young and old plants, both mature, or rarely fucate, of the generally smaller plants with leavesusually less same speciesare often shapeddifferently. than 70 cm long. -...-.......-...-...-...-....-........-C. st enocer pa Although this phenomenonoccurs in 4. Pistillate inflorescence with three or more ra- speciesthroughout Chamaed,orea,it is very chillae.generally larger plants with leaves0.7- pronouncedin the pinnatifid group, result- 1.5 m long. -...-....-...-...-...........................5 5. Leaves erect-ascending,20 or more pinnae on ing in inconsistenciesin descriptions and each side of the rachis; pistillate inflorescence applications of names. with 60-100 filiform, short, + stiff rachillae. The pinnatifid group rangesfrom north- ern Colombiato Guatemalathough it attains s.i;;;;;;il;-h.;h;; tor*"!::!::!f" side of the rachis; pistillate inflorescence with its greatestdiversity and number of species 3 15 rather thick rachillae. C. scheryi on the wet Atlantic slope from western Panama to central Costa Rica. Members of the pinnatifid group are Chamaedoreabrachyclada H. A. similar ecologically. Nearly absent from Wendl., RegelGartenfl. 29: I0l , I BB0. warm, lowland forest, most occur in wet Type: Cult., H. Wendland s.n.o unla- forest or cloud forest at middle to relatively beled, unmounted specimen annotated "HOLOTYPUS?" high elevations(800-1,500 m). A notable as by M. H. Grayum, exception to this is C. pygmaea which 23 July 1987 (Neotype,GOET). occurs as low as 100 m elevation in the Nunnezharia brachyclada (H. A. Wendl.) Dari6n region of Panama. Most speciesof O. Kuntze, Rev. Gen. PIanI. 2: 730, the pinnatifid groqp occur in forests char- l89t. acterized by constant, year-round, high rainfall and high humidity and moderate Stem solitary, oyerall height including temperatures with little daily or seasonal leavesto I-2 m. Leaves3 (Fig. 4), erect- fluctuation. ascending,pinnate, I-2 m long; sheath to Here we provide a key to the species 35 cm long; petiole40-80 cm long, erect; of the pinnatifid group, describe a new rachis l-1.25 m long, petiole and rachis species and propose a name for it, and with a covering of minute, rough, white, include abbreviated descriptions and dis- glisteningspots especiallyat rachis-petiole cussionsof previouslynamed species;com- junction; pinnae 20-30 on each side of plete descriptionsof thesewill be in Hodel's the rachis, dark green, linear-lanceolate, forthcoming treatment x 'We of Chamaed,orea'tn acuminate, largest to 30 2-3 em, cultivation. also provide comments on S-nerved, fairly rough abaxially. cultivating these plants since they are dif- Inflorescencesinfrafoliar; peduncles to ficult to grow well. 60 cm long, greenand + roundedin flower, reddish-orangein fruit; bracts 5-9; rachis Kny ro rHE SpECTESoF THE 10-12 cm long, green in flower, reddish- PrNne.rrrrn Gnoup WnHrn orange in fruit. Staminate inflorescence Cnau.ssnoazl with 40-50 rachillae, these spreading,fili- form, green, lowermost the longest, these l. Leaves simple and bifid. .....,..,...,...,..........C. pygmaea l. Leaves pinnate. ........-.........- ..............-..2 to l0 cm long. Pistillate inflorescencebot- 2. Leaves with pinnae not decreasing in length tle-brushlike;rachillae 60-100, filiform, toward the apex of the rachis. ..-...-..-.C. pygmaea stiffish, 3-5 cm long, green in flower, red- 2. Leaves with pinnae decreasing in length toward dish-orangein fruit. the apex of the rachis. Staminate flowers greenish, oblong- 3. Margins of pinnae undulate, pistillate rachillae ovoid; calyx cupular, 3-lobed,lobes broadly :1""''l:*l:1 1:ol*:l"'?',;;;i;;;i,," rounded;petals spreading apically and free IIO PRINCIPES lVoL. 34 r9901 HODEL AND UHL: A CHAMAEDOREASUBGROUP to about the middle, green, acute and to lBB0. Wendland(lBB0) then described slightly recurved apically, thickened and C. brachyclada from a cultivated pistillate lighter green medially on the adaxial sur- plant he obtained from Veitch. It was face; stamens with filaments and anthers apparently lost to cultivation until the yellow; pistillode equalling the stamens, 1960s when Robert C. Wilson established columnar, yellowish. Pistillate flowers Las CrucesTropical BotanicalGarden [now greenish; calyx very short; petals erect, Jardin Bot5nico Robert y CatherineWilson convolute-imbricate.Fruits globose,black, (JBRCW)] at San Vito in Costa Rica near 3-5 mm diam. the Panamanian border. Wilson's sarden Distribution: PANAMA. Chiriqui. included some native forest whicf, con- COSTA RICA. Puntarenas. Dense, moist tained populations of C. brachyclad,a. or wet forest on the Pacific slope,1,100- Wilson established and cultivated the I.300 m elevation. speciesin his garden and from these plants SpecimensExamined: PANAMA. Chi- and the wild plants in the adjacent forest riqui: Cerro Panda, T. Croat 15904 (MO). he distributed seedsto fellow palm enthu- COSTA RICA. Puntarenas: San Vito de siastsand botanical gardens.Through Wil- CotoBrus, M. Grayum 3351, 3352,3365, son's efforts, collectors have cultivated C. 9280 (MO); G. d.eNeuers 7763 (MO); H. brachyclad,a in California, Florida, and E. Moore Jr. 9995 (BH); fL Hobbs 0583- Hawaii since the late 1960s and early 1o2 (CR); D. R. & M. A. Hodel TOSA, 1970s. Of all the speciesin the pinnatifid 7OSB, (BH, CR); Fila Aguabuena, Can- group, C. brachyclada may be the easiest delariaAcosta, M. Charria Diaz 107 (CR). to cultivate. CULTIVATED. United States. California: Although originally coll€cted in Chiri- Los Angeles, in greenhouse,D. R. Hodel qui, Panama, C. brachyclad,a is very rare 865 (BH), from plants grown from seeds there; in fact, we have seen only one col- originally collected near San Vito de Coto lection of it from this area. Much of Chi- Brus, Costa Rica; Huntington Beach, in rigui has been extensively deforested as the garden of F. Ketchum, D. R. Hodel haveadjacent areas ofCosta Rica. Grayum 674 (BH), from plants grown from seeds and de Nevers (1988) noted that this originally collected near San Vito de Coto sp€ciesis clearly threatened and endan- Brus. Costa Rica. Germany. Hannover: gered since suitable