Coccothrinax pseudorigida León (1939: 145)

Henderson, Andrew, 2023, A revision of Coccothrinax, Hemithrinax, Leucothrinax, Thrinax, and Zombia (Arecaceae), Phytotaxa 614 (1), pp. 1-115 : 70

1.29. Coccothrinax pseudorigida León (1939: 145) .

Lectotype (designated by Moya 2020):— CUBA. Cayo de monte bajo en la sabana de Santayana , este de Camagüey, 9 July 1932, Fr. León 15795 (lectotype HAC!, isolectotypes A!, BH!, GH!, MICH n.v., MICH image!, US!). Plate 20

Coccothrinax pseudorigida var. acaulis León (1939: 146) . Lectotype (designated by Moya 2020):— CUBA. N.O. de la capital del Camagüey, Sabana de la Punta , camino de Cubitas, 8 July 1932, Fr. León 15779 (lectotype HAC!, isolectotypes A!, AJBC n.v., BH!, GH!, MICH n.v., MICH image!, MT n.v., US!).

Stems length and diameter not recorded, clustered. Leaves persistent, giving a ‘skirt’ of dead leaves covering the stem; leaf sheath fibers 2.1(1.2–3.6) mm diameter, stout, woody, loosely woven, the inner and outer layer combining at the apices to form erect , spine-like fibers; petioles 6.4(5.2–8.2) mm diameter just below the apex; palmans 3.5(2.5–5.0) cm long, relatively short, with the adaxial veins prominent and terminating in a distinct pulvinus; leaf blades not wedge-shaped; segments 17(13–20) per leaf, the middle ones 27.7(20.0–33.5) cm long and 2.4(2.0–2.8) 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 not waxy or sometimes 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 or above the leaves, with few partial inflorescences at apex of inflorescence; rachis bracts narrow, closely sheathing, sparsely tomentose, usually without hairs at the apex; partial inflorescences 3–4; proximalmost rachillae straight, 4.2(3.0–5.3) cm long and 1.0(0.7–1.2) mm diameter in fruit; rachillae glabrous at or near anthesis; stamens not recorded; fruit pedicels 1.2(0.6–1.7) mm long; fruits 8.5 (7.8–9.1) mm long and 8.8(8.5–9.1) 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 (Camagüey) ( Fig. 16 ) in savannas at low elevation. Craft (2017) reported that it occurred on serpentine soils.

Taxonomic notes:— As a preliminary species, Coccothrinax pseudorigida has a unique combination of qualitative character states and is recognized as a phylogenetic species. The presence of a ‘skirt’ of dead leaves persisting on the stem is scored from an image in Moya (2020) of plants from the type locality. Var. acaulis is not recognized here, following Craft (2017). Coccothrinax pseudorigida is similar to C. garciana , differing in its clustered stems (see notes under C. garciana ). Craft (2017) reported that C. pseudorigida hybridizes with C. macroglossa .

Figures

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

PLATE 20. Coccothrinax pseudorigida, Cuba, with persistent leaves, giving a ‘skirt’ of dead leaves covering the stem, and inflorescences erect above the leaves, with few partial inflorescences at apex of inflorescence. (Image by Raúl Verdecia Pérez).