Coccothrinax baracoensis Borhidi & Muñiz

Henderson, Andrew, 2023, A revision of Coccothrinax, Hemithrinax, Leucothrinax, Thrinax, and Zombia (Arecaceae), Phytotaxa 614 (1), pp. 1-115 : 31-33

1.4. Coccothrinax baracoensis Borhidi & Muñiz in Muñiz & Borhidi (1981 publ. 1982: 440).

Lectotype (designated by Moya 2021):— CUBA. Guantánamo, Arroyo Blanco, Baracoa , 19 February 1978, B. Muñoz & R. Fleites 105 (holotype HAC!). Plate 4

Stems length not recorded, 20.0 cm diameter, solitary. Leaves more or less deciduous or only leaf bases persisting on stem; leaf sheath fibers 1.3 mm diameter, stout, woody, closely woven, ± joined at the apices; petioles 18.0 mm diameter just below the apex; palmans 14.0 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 30 per leaf, the middle ones 50.0 cm long and 6.5 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 or reddish-brown center, without transverse veinlets. Inflorescences erect, at least initially, amongst or above the leaves, with few partial inflorescences; rachis bracts narrow, closely sheathing, sparsely tomentose, usually without hairs at the apex; partial inflorescences 4; proximalmost rachillae straight, 4.8 cm long and 1.4 mm diameter; rachillae not recorded at or near anthesis; flowers spirally arranged; stamens 7; fruit pedicels 0.8 mm long; fruits 9.8 mm long and 11.0 mm diameter, deep purple; 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. 10 ), habitat and elevation not recorded. Craft (2017) wrote that it occurs on serpentine rocks.

Taxonomic notes:— As a preliminary species, Coccothrinax baracoensis has a unique combination of qualitative character states and is recognized as a phylogenetic species. The type collection label gives the collectors as B. Muñoz & R. Fleites 105, although the protologue gives O. Muñiz 15105. Coccothrinax baracoensis is known from one specimen and remains poorly known, and appears somewhat unusual among Cuban species. The leaf sheath fibers were described in the protologue as being densely woven and forming a ligule at the apex. They are here scored as stout, woody, closely woven, and ± joined at the apices. Inflorescences were described as erect and to 85 cm long. The embryo was described as basal but it is clearly apical. Coccothrinax baracoensis has unusually thick stems, wide segments, and large fruits.

Figures

PLATE 4. Coccothrinax baracoensis, Cuba, with thick stems and wide leaf segments. (Image by Raúl Verdecia Pérez).

FIGURE 10. Distribution of Coccothrinax baracoensis, C. bonettiana, C. borhidiana, and C. boschiana.