BRENESIA 73-74: 29-33, 2010 A new species of Zamia (Zamiaceae) from Costa Rica Rafael H. Acuña C. School of Biology, University of Costa Rica, P.O. Box 11501-2060 San José, Costa Rica. Email: [email protected] (Received: September 1, 2010) ABSTRACT. Zamia gomeziana sp. nov. is described from material collected from Fila de Matama, in Limón Province, Costa Rica. It is distinguished from Zamia fairchildiana L.D. Gómez by its straighter leaflets with longer tips, longer megastrobilus peduncle and thicker megastrobilus with a shorter sterile apex. A discussion about the possible relationships of this new taxon with other existing Zamia species is briefly outlined. Most aspects of the biology of this species are unknown. RESUMEN. Zamia gomeziana sp. nov. se describe a partir de material recolectado en la fila de Matama, en la provincia de Limón, Costa Rica. Se distingue de Zamia fairchildiana L.D. Gómez por sus foliolos más rectos y con ápices más largos, así como por los pedúnculos de los megaestróbilos más largos y megaestróbilos más gruesos con el ápice estéril más corto. Se discuten brevemente las relaciones de este taxon con otras especies de Zamia. La mayor parte de los aspectos de la biología de esta especie se desconocen. KEY WORDS. Zamia, new species, Costa Rica, Fila de Matama, Limón Province Zamia L. is the second most speciose genus in the related Z. fairchildiana L.D. Gómez and Z. Cycadales Pers. ex Bercht. & J. Presl, 69 species pseudomonticola L.D. Gómez. The latter differences, have been recognized as valid by the world’s coupled with the geographic isolation of this leading cycadologists in the latest edition of specimen justify the description of a new taxon. the world list of cycads (Haynes 2009), and it is likely that some others still await either Zamia gomeziana R. Acuña, sp. nov. Type: COSTA discovery (because they inhabit poorly botanically RICA, Limón, fila de Matama, 1350 m.G. Herrera & inventoried areas) or have already been collected A. Chacón 2865 (Holotype CR, Isotype INB). Fig. 1. but require to be diagnosed to be separated from similar looking taxa (Schutzman 2004). Zamia is the Species haec ab Zamia fairchildiana differt foliola only living genus of Cycadales native to Costa Rica proportione longiora angustataque. Megastrobilus (Haynes 2009) and it is distributed in the humid apicem sterilis indistinctis, pedunculus longioribus. lowlands and mid elevations from sea level up to about 1300 m in the Caribbean slope and up to Stem arborescent 100-200 cm tall. Peridermis not 1600 m in the Pacific slope. Recent revisions for described. Cataphylls unknown. Leaves 105-175 cm. this genus include Stevenson (1993) for Panama, Petiole 30-80 cm with large, sparse prickles, its base Stevenson (2001a) for Colombia, Stevenson (2001b) expanded, flat on the upper surface. Rachis 70-100 for Nicaragua, Merello (2004) for Costa Rica and cm, straight or slightly arched, prickled 1.5-2.2 times Stevenson (2004) for Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. longer than the petiole, with 13-24 pairs of leaflets However, Merello’s revision on Costa Rican species inserted at angles of 50-70º. Leaflets almost straight, is outdated and over simplifies the real situation of narrowly falcate to lanceolate, asymmetrical, the taxa (D.W.Stevenson, M.A.Calonje com. pers.). smooth surfaced, median leaflets 32-38 cm long, The specimen G. Herrera & A. Chacón 2865 currently 3-4 cm wide. Leaflet margins entire, upper margin deposited at CR and INB was traditionally convex basally, straight distally, lower margin considered as Z. fairchildiana L.D. Gómez, from an almost straight. Tip acute, straight, long (25% of aberrant collection location. However a detailed leaflet length). Microstobili unknown. Megastrobili examination of that specimen indicates that leaflet peduncle 11 cm, long, cylindrical, with dense brown and megastrobilus morphologies differ from tomentum. Megastrobili barrel shaped, 20 cm long, 8 30 BRENESIA 73-74, 2010 cm wide (when dry, very likely bigger when fresh), slope of Talamanca mountain range have no sterile conic apex small and inconspicuous (less definite dry season and it rains most of the year. than 5 mm long), seven rows and eight columns The presence of epiphyllous bryophytes on the of sporophylls. Sporophylls hexagonal covered leaflets laminae and the petioles of the leaves is by brown tomentum, diameters (when dry) 23-35 also evidence of humid conditions in the plant’s mm. Seeds orange, 1 cm long. habitat. Similar species. This species is morphologically Vegetative characters. The stems of mature plants related to Zamia fairchildiana. However both species of this species can attain heights of 2 m. The leaves’ have several differences (Table 1). In Z. gomeziana lengths range 1-2 m and have more than 20 pairs the leaflets are almost straight, with entire margins of long but narrow leaflets, the longest attaining and their tips are longer and narrower (more than lengths of more than 40 cm. The leaflet width 25% of leaflet length), while in Z. fairchildiana diminishes towards the very long and narrow tips. leaflets are curved or sigmoid, often with denticles Reproductive characters. he microstrobili of in the lower margin near the tip which is shorter this species are unknown. The megastrobili than in Z. gomeziana (less than 20% of leaflet have peduncles longer than in any species of length). There are also important differences in the Zamia native to Costa Rica and Western Panama, megastrobili. Z. gomeziana megastrobilus is thicker, excluding those of the Z. skinneri species complex. with the sterile apex shorter and with a longer The megastrobili have less than 100 seeds and they peduncle than Z. fairchildiana megastrobili (Table have relatively few sporophylls, and a very short 2). sterile, conic apex. Zamia gomeziana is also similar to Z. Reproductive phenology. the only known pseudomonticola; however, the leaflets of the former specimen of this species is a fertile female plant. It species are ten times longer than wide, while in was collected with strobili in April. the Z. pseudomonticola they are, at the most, seven Threats. Fila de Matama is sparsely populated by times longer than wide. Also the lower margins humans and most of the vegetation in this section of the leaflets in the latter species of the latter are of Talamanca mountain range is constituted by convex and their tips shorter (up to 20% of leaflet primary forest and it has been scarcely affected length). The megastrobili of Z. pseudomonticola are by recent human activities. Due to the difficult greenish, and the peduncles are much shorter (up access to this area it seems likely that this species to 5 cm) than in Z. gomeziana. is not under serious direct threats due to human Another superficially similar species is Zamia activities. chigua Seem. (here including Z. lindleyi Warsz. ex Conservation status. This species is found in one A. Dietr. from Western Panama and Z. chigua from of the least botanically surveyed regions in Costa Western Colombia, neither reported for Costa Rica, far removed from the most important human Rica); but this species has thicker petioles and settlements, so it is likely that this species is not rachises (these with a pair of grooves along most heavily threatened. However it is to be expected of the rachis length, on the leaflet insertion points). that this species has a relatively slow life cycle and The leaflets in Z. chigua are incurved and overlap population replacement rates, like other species each other, due to the short inter-leaflet distance. of Zamia. Also, so far, it is only known from the Also in Z. chigua, the megastrobilus peduncles are type location so I consider that, preventively, this usually shorter than 3 cm. species should be considered vulnerable (VU B2a) Etymology. This species’ name is dedicated to the by the IUCN (IUCN 2001). Costa Rican botanist Luis Diego Gómez Pignataro Additional notes. Zamia gomeziana is only known (1944-2009). from the type specimen, which was identified as Distribution and habitat. The only known Z. fairchildiana both in CR and INB and considered specimen of this species was collected in as unusual due to the collection locality (Merello premontane rainforest understory at 1350 m.a.s.l., 2004). However both species differ from each other in Fila de Matama, a region of irregular topography, in the morphological traits pointed out above and with little human intervention and where there still in their distribution ranges. Z. gomeziana inhabits are large remnants of primary forest. premontane rainforests in the Caribbean slope of Climate. The middle elevations of the Caribbean Talamanca mountain range. No plants have been Acuña C.: A new species of Zamia 31 observed by botanists since the collection year, of time, such as a few tens of thousands of years, and I consider it necessary to survey the area could lead to divergence between populations and search for more individuals and populations. and, eventually, speciation. Phenomena in such As it was indicated above, this species has been short periods of time seem to be responsible of the overlooked by the cycadologists, mostly because speciation of Ceratozamia in México (Pérez-Farrera of its rarity in the collections and the difficult et al. 2004), Encephalartos in southern Africa (Vorster access to the region of Fila de Matama. Also it 2004) and Zamia in northwestern Panamá (Taylor et would be convenient to collect cataphylls and al. 2008). microstrobili. This species could be closely related to Z. fairchildiana y Z. pseudomonticola considering ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS the rather similar morphologies of these species. If we consider the climatic and geologic history of To Luis Diego Gómez P. who always Talamanca mountain range, it is feasible that the encouraged me and shared with me a great populations of this newly described species have amount of information about Costa Rican natural been isolated for thousands of years from their history.