Ceratozamia kuesteriana Regel. Bull. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 30: 187-188, t. 3. 1857.

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 : 102

7. Ceratozamia kuesteriana Regel. Bull. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 30: 187-188, t. 3. 1857. Figures 3B , 7C

Type.

ex Horto Petropolitano, 1856, Regel s.n. (holotype, LE; isotypes: U).

Description.

Stem semihypogeous, erect, 10-30 cm in length, 10-25 cm in diameter. Cataphylls persistent, densely tomentose at emergence, reddish-brown and partially tomentose at maturity, triangular, apex acuminate, 1.5-4 × 2-3.5 cm at base. Leaves 1-11, ascending, 80-133 cm, reddish-brown at emergence, whitish-grey pubescence, glabrous at maturity. Petiole terete, straight, 30-72 cm, armed with thin and short prickles, greenish-brown in adult leaves. Rachis terete, straight, 40-72 cm, armed with prickles and rarely unarmed, greenish-brown in adult leaves. Leaflets 22-50, linear, adaxially curved, basally falcate, papyraceous, caniculate, opposite to subopposite, plane, green, adaxial and abaxial side glabrous, acuminate apex, symmetric apex, attenuate at base, with conspicuous and light green veins; median leaflets 17-32 × 0.6-1 cm 0.3-2.5 cm between leaflets; articulations brown, 0.2-0.8 cm wide. Polliniferous strobilus solitary, cylindrical, erect, 11-15 cm in length, 2.2-3 cm in diameter, greenish-yellow with brown pubescence at emergence, yellowish-brown with reddish-brown pubescence at maturity; peduncle tomentose, reddish-brown to brown, 9-14 cm in length, 0.9-1 cm in diameter; microsporophylls 0.6-1.1 × 0.6-1 cm, not recurved distal face. Ovuliferous strobilus solitary, cylindrical, erect, 13-21 cm in length, 7-9 cm in diameter, green at emergence with brown trichomes, greyish-light green with black trichomes at maturity, acuminate apex; peduncle tomentose, brown, 11-15 cm in length, 1-2 cm in diameter; megasporophylls 52-90, 2.5-4 × 2.3-3.5 cm, truncate distal face, obtuse angle between horns. Seeds ovoid, sarcotesta whitish-red when immature, light brown at maturity, 1.5-2.2 cm in length, 1.2-1.8 cm in diameter.

Distribution and habitat.

Endemic to Mexico in Tamaulipas at 1,100-1,500 m (Fig. 9 ), in pine-oak and cloud forests.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is in honour of Baron K. von Kuester, 19th century plant collector.

Distinguishing features.

This species is distinguished by leaflets linear, planar and abaxially curved, not basally falcate, papyraceous, flat and symmetric apex.

Specimens examined.

MEXICO. Tamaulipas: Gómez Farías, A. Gómez-Pompa 2029 (MEXU), A. P. Vovides 771, 772, 791, 800, 801 (XAL), F. González-Medrano et al. 3362 (MEXU, MO), F. González-Medrano & E. Martínez 3288 (MEXU), L. Trejo s/n (UAT); Ocampo, T. W. Walters TW-201-11-A (XAL), TW-201-11-B (MEXU); Tula, D. W. Stevenson 569H, 569G, 569K (MEXU), F. Nicolalde-Morejón et al. 2357-2365 (CIB), L. Martínez-Domínguez et al. 854-881 (CIB), S. Avendaño 5328 (MEXU).

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 7. Shapes of polliniferous strobilus. A Ceratozamia sabatoi B C. hildae C C. kuesteriana.

Figure 9. Distribution map of Ceratozamia sabatoi, C. latifolia, C. zaragozae, C. kuesteriana, C. hildae, C. fuscoviridis and C. chamberlainii.