Ceratozamia decumbens Vovides, Avendaño, Pérez-Farr. & Gonz.-Astorga. Novon 18 (1): 109-114. 2008.

Martinez-Dominguez, Lili, Nicolalde-Morejon, Fernando, Vergara-Silva, Francisco & Stevenson, Dennis Wm., 2018, Taxonomic review of Ceratozamia (Zamiaceae) in the Sierra Madre Oriental, Mexico, PhytoKeys 100, pp. 91-124 : 97

3. Ceratozamia decumbens Vovides, Avendaño, Pérez-Farr. & Gonz.-Astorga. Novon 18 (1): 109-114. 2008. Figure 3G

Type.

MEXICO. Veracruz: Naranjal , 8 Apr. 2005, S. Avendaño & G. Alducin 5706 (holotype: XAL; isotypes: HEM, MO) .

Description.

Stem epigeous, erect and decumbent, 10-40 cm in length, 10-25 cm in diameter. Cataphylls persistent, densely tomentose at emergence, reddish-brown and partially tomentose at maturity, triangular, apex acuminate, 1.5-3 × 2-4.2 cm at base. Leaves 2-7, descending, 80-190 cm, reddish-brown at emergence, whitish-grey pubescence, glabrous at maturity. Petiole terete, straight, 40-100 cm, armed with short and thin prickles, greenish-brown in adult leaves. Rachis terete, straight, 40-123 cm, armed with prickles and occasionally unarmed, brown and green in adult leaves. Leaflets 8-24, oblong, mostly planar, not basally falcate, coriaceous, flat, opposite to subopposite, plane, green, adaxial and abaxial side glabrous, acuminate apex, symmetric and asymmetric apex, attenuate at base, with conspicuous and light green veins; median leaflets 23-47.5 × 2.8-5 cm, 2.6-6.5 cm between leaflets; articulations brown, 0.7-1.2 cm wide. Polliniferous strobilus solitary, cylindrical, erect, 20-23 cm in length, 4-4.5 cm in diameter, greenish-yellow at emergence, greenish with reddish-brown pubescence at maturity; peduncle tomentose, reddish-brown to brown, 8-8.5 cm in length, 1.2-1.5 cm in diameter; microsporophylls 1-1.9 × 1-1.4 cm wide, non-recurved distal face. Ovuliferous strobilus solitary, cylindrical, erect, 9-11 cm in length, 7-8 cm in diameter, wine at emergence, wine with blackish trichomes at maturity, acute apex; peduncle tomentose, brown, 3-4 cm in length, 1-1.2 cm in diameter; megasporophylls 24-49, 2.3-2.5 × 2-3 cm, truncate distal face, right angle between horns. Seeds ovoid, sarcotesta whitish-red when immature, light brown at maturity, 1.2-2 cm, 1.2-1.5 cm in diameter.

Distribution and habitat.

Endemic to a small mountain range in central Veracruz, 450-1,000 m elevation (Fig. 8 ). The vegetation type of the habitat is mountain tropical forest and cloud forest on karstic rocks.

Etymology.

The epithet alludes to the decumbent nature of trunks in older mature plants.

Distinguishing features.

Ceratozamia decumbens is distinguished by its oblong coriaceous, mostly planar and basally falcate leaflets; ovulate strobilus wine red with blackish trichomes at maturity and acute apex.

Specimens examined.

MEXICO. Veracruz: Atoyac, R. Acevedo R. 728 (XAL); Coetzala, A. Rincón G. 2798 (MEXU, XAL), L. Martínez-Domínguez et al. 655-683 (CIB); Ixtaczoquitlán, A. Pérez P. 282 (XAL); Naranjal, A. P. Vovides 751 (XAL), Brigada T. Walters s/n (XAL), J. Rees 1690 (XAL), S. Avendaño R. & G. Alducin 5706 (XAL), T. W. Walters 41277, 41308, 41397 (XAL); Tequila, Jaime E. Rivera Hdez. & Antoeván Vergara V. 4195 (MEXU, XAL), F. Nicolalde-Morejón et al. 2259, 2260 (CIB), L. Martínez-Domínguez et al. 684-703; Tezonapa, M. A. García B. 980 (XAL), R. Robles G. 882 (XAL).

Figures

Figure 3. Shapes of leaflets. A C. latifolia B C. kuesteriana C C. morettii D C. sabatoi E Ceratozamia brevifrons F C. chamberlainii G C. decumbens H C. fuscoviridis I C. tenuis J C. totonacorum K C. delucana L C. mexicana.

Figure 8. Distribution map of Ceratozamia tenuis, C. totonacorum, C. morettii, C. mexicana, C. delucana, C. decumbens and C. brevifrons.