Coccothrinax pumila Borhidi & Hernández

Henderson, Andrew, 2023, A revision of Coccothrinax, Hemithrinax, Leucothrinax, Thrinax, and Zombia (Arecaceae), Phytotaxa 614 (1), pp. 1-115 : 72-73

1.30. Coccothrinax pumila Borhidi & Hernández (1993–1994 publ. 1995: 195). Lectotype (designated by Moya 2021):— CUBA. Prov. Guantánamo, Morrillo Chico, area de Hatibonico, oeste de la Base Naval de Guantánamo, March 1994, J. Hernández s.n. (lectotype HAC!)

Stems length not recorded, 7.0 cm diameter, clustered. Leaves not recorded; leaf sheath fibers 1.8 mm diameter, stout, woody, loosely woven, ± joined or briefly free at the apices; petioles 7.6 mm diameter just below the apex; palmans 4.5 mm long, relatively short, with the adaxial veins prominent and terminating in a slight raised ridge and distinct pulvinus; leaf blades not wedge-shaped; segments 22 per leaf, the middle ones 38.0 cm long and 2.4 cm wide; segments not pendulous at the apices, giving the leaf a flat appearance; middle leaf segments relatively short and broad, abruptly narrowed (shoulder) toward the apex, otherwise parallel-sided, often strongly folded, stiff and leathery, the apices briefly splitting; middle leaf segment apices attenuate; leaf segments with a deciduous, thin layer of wax adaxially, densely indumentose abaxially, with irregularly shaped, persistent, interlocking, fimbriate hairs, each one with a rounded, raised, light green to greenish-brown center, without transverse veinlets. Inflorescences erect amongst the leaves, with few partial inflorescences at apex of inflorescence; rachis bracts not recorded; partial inflorescences 2; proximalmost rachillae straight, 3.5 cm long and 0.8 mm diameter in fruit; rachillae not recorded at or near anthesis; stamens 9; fruit pedicels 2.5 mm long; fruits 8.5 mm long and 8.5 mm diameter, color not recorded; fruit surfaces smooth or sometimes with projecting fibers; seed surfaces deeply lobed, the lobes running from base of seeds almost to apices.

Distribution and habitat:— Cuba (Guantánamo) ( Fig. 16 ) on coastal savannas or hills on limestone rocks at low elevations near the sea.

Taxonomic notes:— As a preliminary species, Coccothrinax pumila has a unique combination of qualitative character states and is recognized as a phylogenetic species. Only one specimen has been examined and the species remains poorly known. In the protologue, C. pumila is said to belong to section Longispadicae subsection Pauciramosae and to be similar to C. pseudorigida . It does share several character states with that species. An image in Moya (2021) of a plant from the type locality of C. pumila shows stems covered with a skirt of persistent dead leaves (as in C. pseudorigida ). However, the images of C. pumila in Craft (2017) do not show skirts of dead leaves on the stems.

Figures

FIGURE 16. Distribution of Coccothrinax pseudorigida, C. pumila, C. rigida, and C. salvatoris.