Ceratozamia aurantiaca Pérez-Farr., Gut.-Ortega, J.L.Haynes & Vovides

Haynes, Jody L., 2022, Critical evaluation of two published descriptions of the same species of Ceratozamia (Zamiaceae) from northern Oaxaca, Mexico, and the formal synonymization of C. martinezii under C. aurantiaca, Phytotaxa 575 (3), pp. 265-275 : 272-273

Ceratozamia aurantiaca Pérez-Farr., Gut.-Ortega, J.L.Haynes & Vovides , Taxonomy 1(3): 249–251

urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77221576-1

Ceratozamia martinezii Mart. -Domínguez, Nic.-Mor. & D.W.Stev., Nordic J. Bot. 1: 2. 2021 [2022]. Type. Mexico. Oaxaca: Mun. San Pedro Teutila, El Faro , 615 m, 28 Sep 2020, L. Mart í nez-Dom í nguez et al. 2049 ♀ (holotype: CIB [acc. # 22845UV]; isotypes: MEXU, NY) .

Holotype:— MEXICO. Oaxaca, Sierra Norte, San Pedro Teutila , 30 May 2021, M.A Pérez-Farrera & P. Díaz-Jiménez 4014 (HEM!). Isotypes: (XAL).

Diagnosis:— Ceratozamia aurantiaca is easily distinguished by its orange emerging leaves that turn green at maturity. It resembles C. robusta but has longer petioles and wider separation between leaflets along the rachis.

Description:— Plant rupicolous, arborescent, unbranching. Stem cylindrical, erect, sometimes decumbent with age, 20–250 cm tall, 10–15 cm in diameter, covered with persistent leaf bases. Cataphylls persistent, triangular with acuminate apex, 3.6–6.5 cm long, 2.0– 3.3 cm wide at the base, brown to reddish brown, densely brown tomentose at emergence, glabrous at maturity. Leaves pinnate, 7–30 per apex, crown open, ascending, eventually arching at maturity, apically and medially planar, basally slightly keeled, 117–257 cm long, 53–77 cm wide, glabrous, non-glaucous, reddishlight brown at emergence, quickly becoming bright orange, transitioning to glossy green at maturity. Petiole terete, 31–85 cm long, densely armed with thick, robust prickles on the largest plants, brown at emergence, green at maturity. Rachis terete, 70–187 cm long, with prickles diminishing apically, brown at emergence, green at maturity. Leaflets on large, mature leaves 12–38 pairs; coriaceous; linear to subfalcate medially, occasionally sigmoid; margin entire; apex acute, acuminate, or long attenuate, symmetric to (occasionally) asymmetric; base attenuate to broad attenuate; basally subopposite, medially opposite; articulation brownish to green, depending on age; median leaflets 21–42.5 cm long, 3.3–4.8 cm wide, with 2.4–6 cm between leaflets, articulation 0.75–1.5 cm wide; veins 29–37, parallel, inconspicuous, slightly translucent, light green. Microstrobilus solitary, cylindrical, erect, 20–36 cm long, 3.1–6 cm in diameter, lightorange to greenish with reddish trichomes and tomentose at emergence, light brown to greenish-yellow with reddishbrown trichomes at maturity; peduncle 4.5–15 cm long, 1.2–2.1 cm in diameter, brown to reddish brown tomentose. Microsporophylls cuneiform, 16–25 mm long, 7–13 mm wide, distal face bicornate, non-recurved; fertile zone on abaxial surface 11–20 mm long, lobate, microsporangia grouped in sori of 3–4; infertile portion 4.7–8.4 mm long, rounded; horns 1.6–3.8 mm long, non-recurved, with 5–8 mm between horns, forming an acute angle. Megastrobilus solitary, cylindrical, erect, 11–42 cm long, 9.4–12.5 cm in diameter, light orange to greenish-yellow base color with abundant dark brown to reddish trichomes on megasporophyll terminal facets at emergence, maturing light orange to green with brown trichomes; apex mucronate at maturity; peduncle 5–19.5 cm long, 1.3–2.3 cm in diameter, light brown tomentose. Megasporophylls obconic, 20–200, arranged in 5–11 orthostichies, 4–19 rows, peltate, distal face lateral elongate hexagonal, bicornate, truncate, 3–4.2 cm wide, 1.7–2.4 cm tall; horns 5.4–9 mm long, non-recurved, with 10.5–17.7 mm between horns, forming an acute angle. Seeds ovoid, sarcotesta cream to yellow when immature, light brown to orange-brown at maturity, sclerotesta beige, 2.3–3 cm long, 1.4–1.9 cm in diameter, with micropylar ridges.