Coccothrinax montgomeryana Henderson, Fernández & Bacon

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

1.25. Coccothrinax montgomeryana Henderson, Fernández & Bacon in Henderson et al. (2023: 109).

Type:— DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. Provincia Hato Mayor del Rey , Municipio Sabana de la Mar, Parque Nacional Los Haitises , 19.079N 69.476W, 16 March 2022, O. Montero, B. Cabrera, O. Peréz, N. Premlonska, E. Fernández, C. Bacon & P. Toribio 475 (holotype JBSD!, isotype NY!). Plate 19

Stems 4.2(2.5–7.0) m long and 4.2 cm diameter, solitary. Leaves more or less deciduous or only leaf bases persisting on stem; leaf sheath fibers 0.5 mm diameter, stout, loosely woven and forming a loose, hexagonal mesh, initially forming ligules at the apices; petioles 6.0(3.8–7.7) mm diameter just below the apex; palmans 1.6(1.0–2.4) cm long, relatively short, with the adaxial veins prominent and terminating in a slight raised ridge and distinct pulvinus; leaf blades not wedge-shaped; segments 23(21–25) per leaf, the middle ones 41.6(33.5–53.0) cm long and 2.2(1.8–2.7) 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 blunt and rounded or attenuate; leaf segments not waxy or sometimes with a deciduous, thin layer of wax adaxially, densely indumentose abaxially, with irregularly shaped, semi-persistent, interlocking, fimbriate hairs without an obvious center, without or with poorly developed transverse veinlets. Inflorescences curving, arching, or pendulous amongst the leaves, with few partial inflorescences; rachis bracts narrow, closely sheathing, sparsely tomentose, usually without hairs at the apex; partial inflorescences 3–4; proximalmost rachillae straight, 5.6(4.5–7.7) cm long and 0.9(0.7–1.2) mm diameter in fruit; rachillae uneven at or near anthesis with lines of warty outgrowths, these often becoming more pronounced as fruits develop; stamens 6(5–7); fruit pedicels 0.5(0.2–0.9) mm long; fruits 3.9(3.7–4.1) mm long and 4.3(3.8–4.7) mm diameter, color not recorded; fruit surfaces smooth or sometimes with projecting fibers; seed surfaces lobed, the lobes running from base of seeds approximately to equator.

Distribution and habitat:— Northeastern Dominican Republic (El Seibo, Hato Mayor) ( Fig. 15 ) in open areas on dog’s tooth limestone at 38(1–225) m elevation. It may occur as far west as Rincon Claro in Duarte province (M. Landestoy, pers. comm.).

Taxonomic notes:— As a preliminary species, Coccothrinax montgomeryana was found to be polymorphic for segment apices. However, splitting the specimens into two species such that variables were consistent within each one led to improbable species that could not be justified morphologically or geographically. Otherwise, specimens had a unique combination of qualitative character states and are recognized as a phylogenetic species. Coccothrinax montgomeryana is a member of a group of nine Hispaniola species (see notes under C. boschiana ). It is most similar to C. gonaivensis , differing from that species in its non-wedge-shaped leaves (although leaf shape is somewhat difficult to score).

Coccothrinax montgomeryana occurs on the south side of Samaná bay on dog’s tooth limestone in Haitises National Park, in a relatively wet and humid habitat. Plants are illustrated in Fernández & Gottschalk (2017, page 137, as C. gracilis ), showing the slender, curved stems.

Subspecific variation:—One specimen (Zanoni 35472) has two leaves, one with the segments blunt and rounded at the apices and the other with attenuate apices, and inflorescences branched to three orders. This specimen is from further inland than the other specimens, and is reported to occur at 225 m elevation. The specimen appears to represent a disjunct population.

Figures

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

PLATE 19. Coccothrinax montgomeryana, Dominican Republic, with slender, curved stems. (Image by Eladio Fernández).