Syagrus × costae Glassman (1970c: 244)

Noblick, Larry R., 2017, A revision of the genus Syagrus (Arecaceae), Phytotaxa 294 (1), pp. 448-450 : 448-450

70. Syagrus × costae Glassman (1970c: 244) . ( S. coronata × S. cearensis ). Type:— BRAZIL. Pernambuco: 2 km W of Neves, S.F. Glassman & J.T. de Medeiros-Costa 8707 (holotype F!)

Figure 90 map.

Palm solitary, columnar. Stem ca. 6–9 m × 12–22 cm. Leaves 10–18; sheathing leaf base ca. 100–120 × 23–28 cm; pseudopetiole 70–90 cm long with the margins covered with fibrous cloth-like sheath fibers, which later separate into individual flat fibers, flexible or rigid of various widths; petiole 20–60 × 3.5–4.5 cm, 1.5–2.0 cm thick; rachis 200–230 cm long; leaflets lightly glaucous on both sides, linear, with acuminate, asymmetric apex, ca. 124 along one side, in clusters of mostly in clusters of 2–4, inserted at various angles, giving the leaf a plumose appearance, ramenta scales present where the leaflets are inserted on the rachis and along the abaxial midvein; basal leaflets 70– 95 × 0.4–0.7 cm, middle leaflets 75–95 × 2.8–4.2 cm, apical leaflets 16–28 × 0.3–0.8 cm with an asymmetric tip. Inflorescence erect to pendulous, spirally branched; prophyll 30–40 × 5–6 cm; peduncular bract ca. 150 cm long, expanded portion 70–85 × 13–17 cm, including a 10–12 cm beak, 16–21 cm perimeter, 1–2 mm thick, narrow, woody, sulcate, exterior with scattered thin indument; peduncle ca. 70 × 2.5 cm, 1.5 cm thick, elliptical in cross-section, lepidote; inflorescence axis 54–73 cm long; rachis 40–54 cm long; rachillae 43–53, 14–24 cm long at the apex, 31–53 cm long at the base, glabrous; staminate flowers 8–12 mm long at the apex, 13–16 × 3–5 mm at the base, green to yellow, sepals 1.1–2.2 × 1 mm, glabrous, petals 8–11 mm long at the apex, 12.4–13.2 × 2.6–3.8 mm at the base with acute tips, nerves indistinct, stamens 4.8–6.6 mm long, anthers 4–6 mm long, filaments 2.9–3.7 mm long, pistillode nearly absent to ca. 0.4 mm long; pistillate flowers pyramidal, 10–12 × 8 mm at the apex, 13– 18 × 6–11 mm at the base, yellow, glabrous, sepals 8–14 × 5.8–8.0 mm, petals 5.8–11 × 4.8–5.8 mm, glabrous, pistil 5.8–8.0 × 4.4–5.1 mm, glabrous, stigmas less than 2.2–2.9 mm long, glabrous, staminodal ring ca. 2.9 mm high, 6-dentate. Fruit oblong, 2.8–4.5 × 2.4–3.0 cm, smooth, yellowish-creme to orange, when mature, lepidote, epicarp less than 0.5 mm thick, mesocarp 3–5 mm thick, orange, succulent and fibrous; endocarp ca. 4 × 2.2 cm, 4– 5 mm thick on its sides; seed ellipsoid, not measured, endosperm homogeneous.

Common name: —coco-babão

Etymology: —The specific epithet, costae , honors Judas Tadeu de Medeiros-Costa, a University professor and palm expert from Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil, who assisted Dr. Sidney Glassman in collecting palms in Brazil.

Distribution and habitat: —This hybrid is found in Pernambuco (and possibly Alagoas), occurring in regions where populations of S. coronata and S. cearensis overlap. That area is located in northern Alagoas and southeastern Pernambuco. It grows in areas of greater seasonal rainfall in the transitional zone between the Atlantic forest and the caatinga at elevations above 500 m.

Phenology: —This species fruits during the summer months (January to March). The seeds are difficult to germinate, but usually do so in 4–5 months.

Uses: —The fruits are edible. The plant possesses ornamental attributes that justify its cultivation in landscaping.

Notes: —This hybrid is a natural, fertile hybrid between S. cearensis and S. coronata . Fibers along the petiole margin seem to approach the width of fibers in S. coronata , but they are not as stiff. Leaves are mostly spiraled on the trunk (rarely in rows). The cylindrical stem is not angular as in S. coronata . Glassman (1970c) originally identified this palm as a hybrid between S. oleracea and S. coronata . However, he failed to recognize the distinctive fruit and growth habit differences between Syagrus cearensis ( Noblick 2004b) and Syagrus oleracea . Around the type locality for this hybrid (Neves and Garanhuns, Pernambuco), there are no specimens of S. oleracea , only S. coronata and S. cearensis and thus the change in parentage.

Representative specimens:— BRAZIL. Pernambuco: Jucati , ca. 7–9 km N of Garanhuns, 900–1000 m, – 8.80, –36.44, 21 September 1994, L.R. Noblick et al. 4980 ( IPA!, FTG!) ; Ceará: Barbalha, Vila Arajara , –7.31, – 39.30, 18 June 1970, J.T. Medeiros-Costa 135 ( IPA!) .

230 • Phytotaxa 294 (1) © 2017 Magnolia Press

NOBLICK

Figures

FIGURE 90. Distribution map of Syagrus hybrids. S. × altopalacioensis, S. × andrequiceana, S. × campos-portoana, S. × cipoensis, S. comosa × elata, S. × costae, S. × lacerdamourae, S. × matafome, S. × mirandana, S. × serroana, S. × teixeiriana, and S. × tostana.