Coccothrinax gracilis Burret (1929: 14)

Henderson, Andrew, 2023, A revision of Coccothrinax, Hemithrinax, Leucothrinax, Thrinax, and Zombia (Arecaceae), Phytotaxa 614 (1), pp. 1-115 : 51-53

1.17. Coccothrinax gracilis Burret (1929: 14) . Lectotype (designated here):— HAITI. Vallée des Trois Rivières , Port de Paix, 26 March 1925, E. Ekman 3586 (lectotype S n.v., S image!, isolectotypes EHH n.v., EHH image!, US!, the holotype at B was destroyed)

Stems length not recorded, 7.6 cm diameter, branching not recorded. Leaves not recorded; leaf sheath fibers 1.1(1.0– 1.3) mm diameter, stout, loosely woven and forming a loose, hexagonal mesh, initially forming ligules at the apices; petioles 5.4(4.3–6.5) mm diameter just below the apex; palmans 4.6(2.7–5.5) 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 25(24–26) per leaf, the middle ones 33.8(27.0–42.5) cm long and 2.1(2.0–2.3) cm wide; segments not pendulous at the apices, giving the leaf a flat appearance; middle leaf segments relatively long and narrow, tapering from base to apex, scarcely folded, flexible and not leathery, a shoulder or constriction absent or poorly developed, the apices thin, deeply splitting and breaking off; 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, 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 number not recorded; proximalmost rachillae straight, 4.7(3.8–5.5) cm long and 1.0(0.6–1.3) mm diameter in fruit; rachillae uneven at or near anthesis with lines of warty outgrowths, these often becoming more pronounced as fruits develop; stamens not recorded; fruit pedicels 0.6–0.7 mm long; fruits 6.2(5.8–6.6) mm long and 7.2(7.1–7.2) mm diameter, wine color; 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:— Northwestern Haiti (Nord-Ouest) ( Fig. 13 ) on limestone terraces near the sea at low elevation.

Taxonomic notes:— As a preliminary species, Coccothrinax gracilis has a unique combination of character states and is recognized as a phylogenetic species. It is a member of a group of nine Hispaniolan species, differing in its leaf shape, leaf segment shape and indumentum, and seed surfaces (see notes under C. boschiana ). For the group, it has unusually large fruits. It is known only from the type locality and does not now occur there (Eladio Fernández, pers. comm.).

A few unidentified specimens may also belong here. Two specimens (Zanoni 28372, 33498), both from Presqu’ile du St. Nicolas from northwestern Haiti, from arid areas on limestone terraces near the sea, bear some resemblance to C. gracilis and occur about 60 km west of its locality. They lack fruits and remain unidentified. Two sterile specimens (Leonard 7172, 8525), both from St. Michel de l’Atalaye in north-central Haiti, also bear some resemblance to C. gracilis .

Figures

FIGURE 13. Distribution of Coccothrinax gracilis, C. gundlachii, C. hioramii, and C. jimenezii