Syagrus allagopteroides Noblick & Lorenzi (2010b: 23)

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

1. Syagrus allagopteroides Noblick & Lorenzi (2010b: 23) . Type:— BRAZIL. Bahia: São Desiderio , on the BA 463 highway that connects the city of São Desiderio to the BR-020 highway, ca. 7 km from the last round about, 840 m, – 12.83, –45.89, 13 December 2009, H. Lorenzi, K. Soares & R. Campos 6792 (holotype HPL!, isotypes CEPEC!, FTG!, K!, NY!, RB!, SP!)

Figure 3 plate. Figure 4 map.

Small, solitary palm, whole plant less than 50 cm tall. Stem generally solitary, short or subterranean appearing acaulescent, ca. 4 cm in diameter. Leaves 2–8; sheathing leaf base 6–14 cm long; pseudopetiole with nearly smooth to fibrous margins, 6–22 cm long; petiole 5–16 × 0.5–1.0 cm; rachis 23–52 cm long; leaflets 21–47 along each side of the rachis, linear, stiff, flat, straight, usually whitish, glaucous on the abaxial side of newer leaflets, sometimes gradually becoming green on both sides, apex long acuminate, asymmetrical, often rounded on one half, distributed irregularly in clusters of 2–4, inserted in various planes, no ramenta scales or tomentum present where the leaflets are inserted on the rachis, and none along the abaxial midvein; basal leaflets 11 × 0.2 cm, middle leaflets 12–20 × 0.8–2.6 cm, apical leaflets ca. 10 × 0.3 cm. Inflorescence erect, spicate or spirally branched; prophyll 5.0–14.5 × 1–3 cm; peduncular bract 10–32 cm long, expanded part 7–20 × 1.2–4.5 cm, including a short beak, 2–3 mm thickness, woody, sulcate; peduncle 8–22(–46) × 0.4–0.6 cm; inflorescence axis 6–17 cm long; rachis 0–5 cm long; rachillae 1–6, 3–19 cm long; staminate flowers 9 × 4 mm, sepals 1.5 × 1 mm, glabrous, petals 7–8 × 3 mm with acute tips, nerves indistinct to slightly raised, stamens 3 mm long, anthers 1.5–2.0 mm long, filaments 1.0– 1.5 mm long; pistillate flowers 11 × 6 mm at the apex, 12–13 × 8 mm at the base, elongate conical, glabrous, sepals 10–12 × 5–6 mm, petals 10–11 × 4–6 mm, glabrous, pistil 7.5 × 4.0 mm, with white pubescence on the lower third; stigmas 2.5 mm long, staminodal ring ca. 2 mm high, 6-dentate. Fruit ovoid, ca. 2.2–3.3 × 1.8–2.2 cm, yellow to brown, with epicarp less than 1 mm thick, mesocarp, succulent and fibrous, thickness not measured; endocarp 2.4–3.1 × 1.4 cm, thickness 1.5–2.2 mm; seed ca. 1 cm in diameter with no internal cavity, endosperm homogeneous. Germination remote-tubular.

Common name:— buri-falso.

Etymology:— The specific epithet, allagopteroides , refers to the similarity of this palms leaves to those of Allagoptera Nees.

Distribution and habitat:— Found mostly in the Brazilian state of Bahia throughout the extreme western portion of the state in the prime soybean planting region (i.e. Barreiras), but reaching into Tocantins (Mateiros), Goiás, and Minas Gerais, in cerrado, generally in sandy soils in full sun. It is found in the state of Bahia ( Serra Geral de Goiás), northeastern Goiás (Possé), and northwestern Minas Gerais (Formoso), in low shrubby to sparsely vegetated cerrado, generally in fine, light brown to reddish sandy soils sometimes mixed with iron rich rocks usually above 600 m elevation in a very flat or undulating terrain, and often associated with Astrocaryum campestre Mart. and Attalea barreirensis Glassman.

Conservation:— This palm is highly threatened outside of the few reserves left in western Bahia and Goiás. Its survival is threatened by the soybean plantations in western Bahia. Because of its vulnerability to aggressive agricultural practices, this species is classified as Endangered, EN A4ac .

Phenology:— Flowering in June. This palm fruits sparsely in the spring (September to November).

Uses:— The tasty and nutritious fruits, which are easily accessible, are eaten by small rodents. It possesses potential for cultivation in gardens by virtue of its attractive foliage and compact form.

Notes:— Leaflets are arranged much like those on an Allagoptera leaf with its tightly clustered leaflets. Leaflet anatomy is distinctive with very large marginal fiber strands that can be felt with the fingers along the margins of the leaf. It is a small-leaved, acaulescent palm with a spicate inflorescence. The author first collected this palm several times throughout western Bahia in the 1980s, but dismissed it as another growth form of S. petraea . However, after having the opportunity to examine Bolivian material of S. petraea , the author found that the leaflet anatomy of S. allagopteroides is significantly different, having a very large marginal fiber strand (absent in S. petraea ) and many small vascular bundles along the upper and lower surface of the leaf (vs. only along the lower surface of the leaf in S. petraea ).

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Representative specimens:— BRAZIL. Bahia: Barreiras , 759 m, –11.88, –45.83, without date, A. Cotrim. et al. 1632 ( HUEFS!) ; Barreiras, 18 km W of BR 020 on road to Taguatinga (GO), 770 m, –12.12, –46.00, 26 October 1988, L.R. Noblick & J.L. de S. Lima 4665 ( BAH!, CEPEC!, F!, HTSA!); Barreiras, 18 km N of the BR 020 at

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Posto Cerradão (66 km W of Barreiras). Cerrado vegetation with fine light brown sandy soils, 740 m elevation, – 12.13, –45.00, 26 October 1988, L.R. Noblick & J.L. de S. Lima 4669 (ALCB!, CEPEC!, HTSA!, F!, K!, U!); Côcos, Rod. Cocos . Coribe, 14 km da sede do municipio, 670 m, –14.80, –44.50, 18 April 2001, J.G. Jardim et al. 3635 (HUEFS!); Côcos , 31 km W of Cocos on road to Serra da Suçuarana, Riacho do Meio, place called Samambaia, 600 m, –14.17, –44.55, 20 October 1988, L.R. Noblick & J.L. de S. Lima 4652 (CAS!, CEPEC!, F!, HTSA!); Correntina, 36 km SW of Correntina on BR 349, 700 m elevation, –12.33,–44.65, 22 October 1988, L.R. Noblick & J.L. de S. Lima 4655 (F!); Correntina, na estrada para Brasília, (local chamado Rosário [Posto Rosario na divisa com Goiás]), –13.94, –46.19, 5 March 2009, H. Lorenzi 6642 (HPL!); Formosa do Rio Preto, próximo ao Rio Riacão, 540 m, –11.12, –45.47, 8 April 1989, A.O. Scariot et al. 474, 476 (CEN!); Jaborandi, 12 km S of the Rio Arrojado on road, Correntina/Jaborandi, 600 m, –13.53, –44.28, 17 October 1988, L.R. Noblick & J.L. de S. Lima 4634 (AAU!, BAH!, BH!, CEPEC!, F!, FTG!, HTSA!, K!), 4635 (CEPEC!, F!, GH!, HTSA!); Jaborandi, 5 km N of the village of Gatos, 640 m, –13.53, –44.28, 17 October 1988, L.R. Noblick & J.L. de S. Lima 4638, 4639 (CEPEC!, F!, HTSA!); São Desidério , –12.367, –44.97, 24 October 1988, L.R. Noblick & J.L. de S. Lima 4660 (F!, FTG!, HTSA!), 4661 (NY!); São Desidério, Chapada do São Francisco , estrada de terra entre Roda Velho e Estiva, 7 November 1997, F.C.A. Oliveira et al. 861 (IBGE, UB!); São Desidério , estrada que liga Roda Velha a Estiva, 515, –12.47, –45.20, 10 April 1989, A.O. Scariot et al. 482 (CEN!); Roda Velha, BR-020, 29 km após a divisa Goiás / Bahia, –13.28, –45.87, 5 December 1984, J.T. Medeiros-Costa et al. 0261 (HTSA!); Tocantins: Mateiros, Região do Jalapão, Pedra da Balíza—divisa entre os estados de TO, MA, PI & BA, –10.62, –46.10, 7 May 2001, A.B. Sampaio et al. 495 (HUEFS!); Rio de Conceição, SCC 234-C, Bacia do Tocantins, Sub-bacia Manuel Alves de Natividade (T5, area 7, Ponto 14a), entrada para balnearia, 571 m, –11.42, –46.81, 2 July 2009, M.L. Fonseca et al. 6048 (UB!).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Syagrus allagopteroides. A. Specimen with leaf showing the Allagoptera like leaf (Lorenzi 6642). B. Habit with an inflorescence. C. Infructescence. D. Spicate inflorescence. E. Leaves with glaucous waxy underside. F. Endocarps. G. Pistil and pistillate flowers above and staminate flowers below. All grids are in centimeters.

FIGURE 4. Distribution maps of Syagrus allagopteroides, S. amara, S. angustifolia, S. botryophora, S. caerulescens, S. campestris, S. campylospatha, and S. cardenasii.