Syagrus loefgrenii Glassman (1967a: 240)

Noblick, Larry R., 2017, A revision of the genus Syagrus (Arecaceae), Phytotaxa 294 (1), pp. 448-450 : 448-450

34. Syagrus loefgrenii Glassman (1967a: 240) . Type :— BRAZIL. São Paulo : Rio Claro, without date, Löfgren 573 (holotype SP! [ SP-12260 ])

Syagrus rachidii Glassman (1967a: 240) . Type :— BRAZIL. São Paulo : Pirassununga, Rachid s.n. (holotype SP! [ SP-53520 ]).

Figure 50 plate, Figure 49 map.

Small, solitary to clustering palm, ca. 50 cm tall (may be taller in cultivation). Stem ca. 0–0.6 m × 10–15 cm or nearly absent, short, subterranean, appearing acaulescent, and often leaning or prostrate. Leaves 4–8 in the crown held somewhat erect; sheathing leaf base ca. 4–21 × 1–3 cm; pseudopetiole (7–) 34–50 cm long; petiole 4–23 × 0.6–1 cm, 0.3–0.6 cm thick; rachis 35–70 cm long; leaflets lighter on the abaxial surface, 26–66 along one side, apex long acuminate, dark bluish-green, glaucous white on the lower surface when young often wearing off, becoming concolorous, distributed irregularly in clusters of 2–4, inserted at various angles, giving the leaf a plumose appearance, no ramenta scales present where the leaflets are inserted on the rachis, and none along the

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NOBLICK abaxial midvein; basal leaflets 5.5–17 × 0.2–0.7 cm, middle leaflets 11–25 × 0.5–1.5 cm, apical leaflets 6.0–18 × 0.2–0.5 cm with an asymmetric tip. Inflorescence erect, unilaterally branched; prophyll 10–22 × 1.5–2.5 cm, covered with a wooly to short indument; peduncular bract 27–44 cm long, expanded portion 13–21 × 1.2–4.5 cm, including a 0.7–4 cm beak, 2.5–6 cm perimeter, 1–2 mm thickness, narrow, woody, sulcate, exterior with short to wooly tomentose indument, especially near the base; peduncle ca. 13–25 cm × 3–7 mm, elliptical in cross-section, tomentose; inflorescence axis 8–17 cm long; rachis 3.5–10 cm long; rachillae 4–9, glabrous, 3.5–9 cm long at the apex, 6–18 cm long at the base; staminate flowers 4–8 mm long at the apex, 7–10(–17) × 2–3.7 mm at the base, green to yellow, sepals 1–2 × 1.2–2.5 mm, glabrous, with indistinct nerves, petals 4.5–7 mm long at the apex, 6–9.5 × 1.5–3 mm at the base, with acute tips, glabrous, nerves indistinct, stamens 3–4.5 mm long, anthers 2.8–3.5 mm long, filaments 1–2.3 mm long, pistillode less than 0.5–1 mm long; basal pistillate flowers elongate pyramidal, 8– 15 × 5–7.5(–9) mm, yellow, glabrous, sepals 8–15 × 3.5–6 mm, glabrous, petals 6–12 × 2.5–4.5 mm, glabrous, obscurely veined at the tip, visible at the base, valvate tips 2/3 of the length of the petal, ca. 4–8 mm long, pistil 4– 7.5 × 2–4 mm, glabrous to tomentose, stigmas ca. 2.4–4 mm long, staminodal ring ca. 0.8–1.5 mm high, 6-dentate. Fruit narrowly ellipsoid, (2–)3–3.2 × 1–1.5 cm, green brown turning brown to yellowish brown when mature, tomentose to wooly, epicarp less than 0.5 mm thick, mesocarp 1–2 mm thick, succulent and fibrous; endocarp ca. 2.2–2.5 × 1.3–1.5 cm, 2 mm thick on the sides, 1–3 mm thick at the ends; seed one, rarely 2, ellipsoid ca. 1.5 × 0.6– 0.7 cm, endosperm homogeneous. Germination remote-tubular.

Common name:— acumã-mirim, acumã-rasteiro.

Etymology:— The specific epithet, loefgrenii , honors the original Brazilian collector, Swedish born (Johan) Albert (Constantin) Löfgren. He is also known as Alberto Loefgren (1854–1918), former director of the São Paulo Botanical Garden.

Distribution and habitat:— This palm grows in most of the Brazilian state of São Paulo in cerrado and former cerrado regions, often persisting in the understory of several Eucalyptus plantations. It has also been discovered in the eastern portion of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul.

Conservation:— This palm is protected within the cerrado preserves found within the state of São Paulo (i.e. Altinópolis). It also persists within the pine forest plantations outside of the preserves (i.e. Itirapina). It is not considered to be threatened and is classified as least concern, LC.

Phenology:— Flowering May to July and January and December with some plants having fruit from January to March and May. It fruits sparsely at the end of spring (October).

Uses:— The seeds are consumed by small animals. It has a potential for cultivation in gardens.

Notes:— This is an acaulescent palm with tightly clustered membranaceous, dark green leaflets that are whitish waxy beneath and that are inserted at steep angles to the rachis. It has an easily identifiable leaflet anatomy that distinguishes it from S. petraea , a species with which it has been synonymized ( Henderson et al. 1995). Syagrus loefgrenii has a large vein with an exaggerated vascular bundle running along the margin of the leaflets and with only an occasional adaxial fiber strand and few minor abaxial veins present, but S. petraea is lacking this large vein with exaggerated vascular bundle on its leaflet margins, has an abundance of fiber strands between the major veins along its adaxial surface and also many minor abaxial veins ( Noblick 2013a). This species varies widely in appearance ( Glassman 1987), which caused Glassman to mistakenly identify a new species, Syagrus rachidii ( Glassman 1968a) . He then synonymized his own species only a few years later ( Glassman 1971b), when he realized that the differences fell within the range of S. loefgrenii . There is a rare hybrid of this species with S. romanzoffiana near Boituva, São Paulo (Ricardo Pimenta, pers. comm.).

Representative specimens:— BRAZIL. Mato Grosso do Sul: Campo Grande, Fazenda Santa Inês , –20.44, – 54.65, 26 April 1991, U.M. Resende 478 ( CGMS!) ; Mato Grosso do Sul, Agua Clara: W of the city on MS-262 towards Campo Grande, ca. 0.5 km E, km 184. Fazenda Lazaro , ca. 466 m, –20.43, –53.25, 23 January 2014, L.R. Noblick & R. Pimenta 5645 ( ESA!, HPL!, UB!, RB!, SP!, K!, FTG!, NY!, MO!, US!) ; Minas Gerais: Triángulo region , 1967–1968, R. Goodland 725, 900 ( NY!) ; Uberlândia, Fazenda de Glória , –18.92, –48.28, 27 May 1983, R.C. Vieira 201 ( HUFU!) ; Uberlândia, Reserva do Clube Caça e Peca Itororó , –18.92, –48.28, 9 February 1994, A.A. Arantes 151 ( HUFU) ; Uberlândia, Reserva do Clube Caça e Pesca Itororó , –18.92, –48.28, 13 September 1997, E.O. Lenza 455 ( HUFU) ; São Paulo : Águas De Santa Bárbara, Estado Ecológico de Santa Bárbara , –22.88, –49.24, 31 May 1989, J.A.A. Meira Neto 415 ( UEC) ; Águas De Santa Bárbara, Estado Ecológico de Santa Bárbara , –22.88, –49.24, 8 December 1989, J.A.A. Meira Neto 497 ( UEC) ; Águas de Santa Bárbara, Estado Ecológico de Santa Bárbara , –22.88, –49.24, 9 October 1990, J.A.A. Meira Neto 715 ( UEC) ; Águas de Santa Bárbara , ca. 11 km

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Phytotaxa 294 (1) © 2017 Magnolia Press • 133 de cidade em direção a Lençois, próximo a entrada da Reserva da Instituto Florestal, 19 December 1995, V.C. Souza & J.P. Souza 9631 (ESA!); Américo Brasiliense, 15 km NE of Araraquara on SP-255 (Aragaquara/Ribeirão Preto), belonging tot he Clube Nautico de Araquara, 30 January 1993, L.R. Noblick 4923 (FTG!); Angatuba, Floresta de Angatuba, Instituto Florestal de SP, –23.45, –48.42, 23 November 1983, J.A. Ratter 4957 (K!, SPSF, UEC!); Anhembi, Fazenda Barreiro Rico, –22.78, –48.12, without date, O. Cesar 807 (HRCB); Anhembi, Fazenda Barreiro Rico, 1956, M.P. Kuhlmann 3964 (FTG!, SP!); Altinópolis, ca. 12 km SW of the city on the road to Serrano , 606 m, –21.056, –47.49, 7 January 2014, L.R. Noblick & H. Lorenzi 5630 (FTG!, HPL!, NY!); Boa Esperança do Sul, na Fazenda Itaquerê, February 1957, M. Kuhlman s.n. (SP-120542!); Botucatu, Fazenda Gold Farm à margem da rodovia municipal (Estrada do Roberto), que liga Victoria ao Rio Bonito Campo e Náutica, a mais ou menos 5 km de Victoriana, –22.80, –48.30, 13 May 1986, L.R.H. Bicudo 1138 (UEC); Botucatu, Fazenda Gold Farm, –22.80, –48.28, without date, L.R.H. Bicudo 1759 (HRCB); Botucatu, 18 km N of Botucatu, 14 km E of São Manuel , along the São Manuel-Piracicaba highway, 550 m, 1 October 1971, I.S. Gottsberger 1060 ( US!); Botucatu, 18 km N of Botucatu, 14 km E of Sao Manuel , along the Sao Manuel-Piracicaba highway, 550 m, 19 October 1972, I.S. Gottsberger 333r-191072 ( US); Brotas, a few meters northeast of intersection to the Brotas- Itirapina road with the road to Camp Alegre, 750 m, –22.28, –47.93, 16 June 1961, G. Eiten et al. 2955 (SP!, UB!); Campo Alegre, 25 September 1940, J.F. Toledo & A. Gehrt s.n. (SP-43184!, F!, US-2562850–2562853!); Corumbataí, APA de Corumbataí, –22.22, –47.62, 6 May 1992, J.A. Lombardi 90 (UEC); Itirapina, Rodovia Washington Luiz, –22.25, –47.82, 30 September 1993, K.D. Barreto et al. 1333 (ESA!, MBML); Itirapina, –22.25, –47.82, 17 September 2005, B. Battaglia s.n. (ESA!); Itirapina, Estação Experimental de Itirapina, –22.25, –47.82, 27 July 1988, L.C. Bernacci 20685 (UEC); Itirapina, –22.25, –47.82, 13 January 1983, R.A. Camargo s.n. (HRCB); Itirapina, –22.25, –47.82, without date, O. Cesar 252 (HRCB); Itirapina, –22.25, –47.82, without date, O. Cesar 262 (HRCB); Itirapina, –22.25, –47.82, without date, N.M.L. Cunha 67 (HRCB); Itirapina, 12 km NW of cidade, – 22.25, –47.82, 2 July 1965, S.F. Glassman & J.C. Gomes 8011 (RB!), 8012 (SP!), 8013, 8015, 8016 (F!, FTG!); Itirapina, –22.25, –47.82, 19 July 1991, J.A. Pastore 355 (SPSF); Itirapina, Cerrado da Estação Experimental de Itirapina e arredores, –22.25, –47.82, 26 January 1984, H.F. Leitão Filho 15922 (UEC); Itirapina (camarca in Rio Claro), 8 km N of the city in the Reserva Horto Florestal do Estado (State Forest Preserve), 600–700 m, –22.30, – 47.87, 29 May 1992, L.R. Noblick & C. Buzeiro 4888 (BHCB!, FTG!, K!, MO!, NY!, US!); Itirapina, 1965, J.E. de Paula 117 (SP!); Itirapina, 700 m, –22.29, –47.90, 29 March 2005, G.H. Recchia s.n. (ESA!); Itirapina, km 200 da Rodovia Washington Luís, 24 March 1993, V.C. Souza & L. Ferraro 2582 (ESA!); Itirapina, na Repressa do Lobo em floresta de Pinus, –22.25, –47.82, 17 March 2005, R. Tsuji & E.R. Salviani 1030 (HPL!); Luiz Antônio, Estação Experimental de Luiz Antônio-Instituto Florestal, fazenda Jataí, 3 May 1978, D.V. Toledo Filho 9089 (UEC); Luiz Antônio, Estação Experimental de Luiz Antônio-Instituto Florestal, July 1978, D.V. Toledo Filho 9898 (UEC); Pirassununga, 1947, M.P. Kuhlmann 1572 (F!, SP!); Pirassununga, 9–11 km NW of Pirassununga, 1969, S.F. Glassman 8748, 8751 (F!); Ribeirao Preto, 280 m N of Sao Paulo on Rib Preto Road, 1 km E of road. Sao Simáo , – 21.17, –47.81, 19 May 1966, R. Goodland 380 (NY!); Rio Claro, –22.41, –47.56, 5 June 1888, A. Loefgren CGG573 (SP!); Santa Rita do Passa Quatro, Parque Estadual da Vassununga, Gleba Pé de Gigante, Rod. Anhanguera, km 255–257, 690 m, –21.65, –47.60, August 1985, A.A.I.F. Castro 19720 (SPSF, UEC); São Carlos , na via Washington Luis, parada Visconde do Rio Branco, ca. 1 km do pedagio, August 1988, J.L. Waechter 2326 (ICN!, PEL); São Simão, Fazenda Aritozina , –21.47, –47.55, 29 January 1982, H.F. Leitão Filho s.n. (UEC).

Figures

FIGURE 49. Distribution maps of Syagrus lilliputiana, S. loefgrenii, S. longipedunculata, S. lorenzoniorum, S. macrocarpa, S. mendanhensis, S. menzeliana, S. microphylla and S. minor.

FIGURE 50. Syagrus loefgrenii. A. Reclined, clustering stem habit near Altinópolis, São Paulo (Noblick & Lorenzi 5630). B. Habit with leaves showing abaxial waxy bloom at Jardim Botânico Plantarum. C. Waxy bloom on abaxial side of leaf. D. Tomentum on leaf midvein. E. Inflorescences and infructescences (Noblick & Lorenzi 5630). F. Inflorescence with open staminate flowers. G. Inflorescence with receptive pistillate flowers. H. Infructescence. Grid is in centimeters.