Coccothrinax munizii Borhidi

Henderson, Andrew, 2023, A revision of Coccothrinax, Hemithrinax, Leucothrinax, Thrinax, and Zombia (Arecaceae), Phytotaxa 614 (1), pp. 1-115 : 66-68

1.26. Coccothrinax munizii Borhidi in Borhidi & Muñiz (1971b publ. 1972: 2).

Haitiella munizii (Borhidi) Borhidi in Borhidi & Kereszty (1979: 2).

Type :— CUBA. Prov. Oriente, ad Macambo inter San Antonio del Sur et Imias, 16 March 1970, A. Borhidi, O Muñiz & S. Vázquez 27117 (holotype HAC!, isotype BP n.v., BP image!)

Stems 4.3(3.5–5.0) m long and 5.3 cm diameter, solitary. Leaves more or less deciduous or only leaf bases persisting on stem; leaf sheath fibers 2.3(1.3–3.1) mm diameter, stout, woody, loosely woven, ± joined or briefly free at the apices; petioles 7.3(6.7–8.0) mm diameter just below the apex; palmans 7.5(6.3–8.7) cm long, relatively short, with the adaxial veins prominent and terminating in a slight raised ridge and distinct pulvinus; leaf blades wedge-shaped; segments 19(16–21) per leaf, the middle ones 28.1(26.5–31.5) cm long and 2.7(1.8–3.5) cm wide; segments not pendulous at the apices, giving the leaf a flat appearance; middle leaf segments tapering from base to apex, often folded, stiff and leathery, with or without scarcely developed shoulders, the apices sharply pointed and briefly splitting; middle leaf segment apices attenuate; leaf segments not waxy or sometimes with a deciduous, thin layer of wax adaxially; leaf segments 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 curving, arching, or pendulous amongst the leaves, with few to numerous partial inflorescences; rachis bracts narrow, closely sheathing, sparsely tomentose, usually without hairs at the apex; partial inflorescences 5–6; proximalmost rachillae straight, 4.6(4.0–5.2) cm long and 1.0(0.9–1.2) mm diameter in fruit; rachillae uneven at or near anthesis with lines of warty outgrowths, these often becoming more pronounced as fruits develop; stamens 8; fruit pedicels 0.2–0.3 mm long; fruits 3.9(3.7–4.2) mm long and 4.3(4.0–4.7) mm diameter, tan; fruit surfaces densely muricate; seed surfaces deeply lobed, the lobes running from base of seeds approximately to equator.

Distribution and habitat:— Cuba (Guantánamo) ( Fig. 15 ) in dry, scrub forest on limestone cliffs near the sea at 163(25–300) m elevation.

Taxonomic notes:— As a preliminary species, Coccothrinax munizii has a unique combination of qualitative character states and is recognized as a phylogenetic species. It is one of only four species with small, muricate fruits, the other three ( C. boschiana , C. ekmanii , C. samanensis ) are endemic to Hispaniola. Coccothrinax munizii appears most similar morphologically to C. boschiana (see notes under that species).

Figures

FIGURE 15. Distribution of Coccothrinax montgomeryana, C. munizii, C. orientalis, and C. pauciramosa.