Geonoma pohliana subsp. weddelliana (Wendland ex Drude) Henderson, 2011

Henderson, Andrew, 2011, A revision of Geonoma (Arecaceae), Phytotaxa 17, pp. 1-271 : 130-132

51j. Geonoma pohliana subsp. weddelliana (Wendland ex Drude) Henderson , comb. & stat. nov.

Basionym: Geonoma weddelliana Wendland ex Drude (1882: 494) . Type: BRAZIL. Goiás: between Goiás and Cuiaba, November-December 1844, H. Weddell 2983 (holotype P!, isotype F!).

Geonoma schottiana var. palustris Warming ex Drude (1882: 493) . Geonoma warmingii Hawkes (1952: 189) . Type: BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: Lagoa Santa, no date, E. Warming 1843 (holotype C n.v., holotype image!).

Geonoma stenoschista Burret (1930a: 233) . Type: BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: between Rio Parauna and Serra do Cipó, 24 April 1892, A. Glaziou 20030 (holotype P!, isotype FI!).

Geonoma caudulata Loesener in Taubert (1896: 423) . Type: BRAZIL. Goiás: Serra dos Viadeiros, 17 October 1894, E. Ule 226 (3150) (holotype P!).

Geonoma plurinervia Burret (1940b: 99) . Type: BRAZIL. Mato Grosso: Capão Bonito, Campo Grande, 5 September 1936, W. Archer & A. Gehrt 74 (holotype B, destroyed, isotypes BH!, SP!, US!).

Geonoma telesana Lorenzi (2010: 252) . Type: BRAZIL. Mato Grosso: Mun. Matinha, Serra do Roncador, 11 December 2009, H. Lorenzi, J. Teles, K. Suares & T. Flores 6789 (holotype HPL n.v., isotypes ESA n.v., SP n.v.), s ynon. nov.

Leaves pinnae 13(3–23) per side of rachis. Inflorescences rachillae 13(4–27), 2.0(1.0–3.4) mm in diameter, not hairy, not filiform and not or scarcely narrowed between the flower pits; proximal and distal lips drying darker brown than the rachillae; triads mostly decussately arranged.

Distribution and habitat:— From 6°00’– 24°07’S and 36°00’– 60°49’W in the Cerrado region and adjacent areas of campo rupestre of Brazil and just reaching adjacent Bolivia and Paraguay at 1015(200– 1650) m elevation in wet places, usually in gallery forest ( Fig. 35 ).

There is geographical variation in this subspecies. Linear regression shows there are significant associations between elevation and eight leaf variables and four inflorescence variables. Squared multiple R for the regression of leaf number on elevation is 0.58, rachis width 0.10, number of pinnae 0.28, basal pinna length 0.18, basal pinna width 0.40, basal pinna angle 0.37, apical pinna width 0.31, apical pinna angle 0.19, peduncle width 0.15, number of rachillae 0.12, fruit length 0.33, and fruit diameter 0.45. In particular, number of pinnae increases and they become shorter and narrower with narrower angles with increasing elevation, giving a distinctive, small pinnate leaf. For inflorescences, peduncles become thinner, rachillae fewer, and fruits larger with increasing elevation. Specimens from higher elevations (1000–1600 m) in Minas Gerais (Serra do Cipó), Goiás (Chapada dos Veadeiros), and Bahia (Pico das Almas) have these kinds of leaves and inflorescences.

Specimens from the western and northern margins of the range have fewer, broader pinnae. Some specimens (e.g., Noblick 3209, Sant'Ana 311, Thomas 9251) from the eastern margin of the range in Bahia occur near to the range of subsp. pohliana , and there may be hybrids between these two subspecies in this area.

Some specimens (Irwin 6276, 15633) from the Distrito Federal near Brasília, have pinnae more like those of subsp. schottiana . It is unclear if this subspecies is present in the Distrito Federal, or if these specimens are hybrids.

Figures

FIGURE 35. Distribution maps of Geonoma pohliana subsp. rubescens, G. pohliana subsp. trinervis, G. pohliana subsp. unanensis, and G. pohliana subsp. weddelliana.