Syagrus werdermannii Burret (1933: 109)

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

64. Syagrus werdermannii Burret (1933: 109) . Type:— BRAZIL. Bahia: Höhe 800–1000 m ü. M. Auf offenen "Geraës" sehr charakteristisch [Elevation 800–1000 m above sea level. In very characteristic open "Gerais"]. April 1932, E. Werdermann 3742 (holotype destroyed at B); Neotype (designated by Glassman [1971a: 7]):—Situ do Ouro, 15 km NW of Caetité, 6 July 1969, S.F. Glassman & J.T. Medeiros-Costa 8728 (F!)

Figure 88 plate, Figure 86 map.

Small, clustered or solitary, unarmed, palm less than 1–2 m tall. Stem subterranean, often growing horizontally, appearing acaulescent. Leaves 4–8 in crown, spirally arranged, spreading; sheathing leaf base 20–36 cm long, fibrous; pseudopetiole 26–32 cm long with smooth to fibrous margins; petiole 8–20 × 0.7–1 cm; rachis 26–81 cm long; leaflets green above, paler beneath, 10–20 along one side, regularly distributed with the lower sometimes in clusters of 2 or 3 in one plane, no ramenta scales or tomentum present where the leaflets are inserted on the rachis, and none along the abaxial midvein; basal leaflets 19–28 × 0.2–0.8 cm, middle leaflets 20–50 × 1.0– 2.8 cm, apical leaflets 22–29 × 0.4–0.6 cm mostly with acute, asymmetric tips. Inflorescence erect, spirally branched, with rachis and rachillae covered with a fine, dense white tomentum; prophyll 18–26 × 2–2.5 cm; peduncular bract ca. 60–80 cm long, expanded portion 22–54 × 2–5 cm, bearing a 0–3 cm beak, perimeter not measured, 1–3 mm thick, woody, sulcate, covered with dense grayish white to light brown tomentum, becoming glabrous with age; peduncle ca. 19–68(–72) × 0.5–0.7 cm; inflorescence axis 16–43 cm long; rachis 10–18 cm long; rachillae 6–18, 7–15 cm long at the apex, 12–25 cm long at the base, covered with tomentum, rachilla bracts usually absent or up to 2 mm long; staminate flowers 4–7 mm long at the apex, 7–9.5 × 3–5 mm at the base, pale yellow, sepals 1–3 × 1 mm or less, glabrous, veins sometimes visible at the base, petals 4–6 mm long at the apex, 6–9 × 2.5–4 mm at the base with broadly acute tips, glabrous, nerves obscurely visible, stamens 4–5 mm long, anthers 3–5 mm long, filaments 1.5–2.5 mm long, pistillode 1 mm long; pistillate flowers rounded to conical, 4–6 × 4–5 mm, yellow, sepals 4–6 × 2.5–5 mm, glabrous, with raised veins, not obviously keeled; petals 3–5 × 2–4 mm, valvate tips ½ of the length of the petal, ca. 1.5–2.5 mm long, glabrous, distinctly veined except at the tip, pistil 3–4 × 1.5–3 mm, stigmas 1 mm long, staminodal ring ca. 1 mm high. Fruit ellipsoid, 1.8–2.5 × 1.1–1.5 cm, persistent perianth (cupule) brown, 12– 13 mm wide, 4 mm deep, ring 2 mm in height, epicarp less than 0.5 mm thick, smooth, light to yellow green when mature, mesocarp fibrous, 1–2 mm thick; endocarp 1.6–1.8 × 1.1–1.3 cm, 1–1.5 mm thick, bony to woody, smooth on the interior, trivittate, with no clusters of fibers; seeds 1.0–1.2 × 0.7–0.8 cm, endosperm homogeneous. Germination remote-tubular.

Common name:— côco-de-vassoura, côco-de-raposa, côco-de-peneira.

Etymology:— The specific epithet, werdermannii , is named for Dr. Erich Werdermann (1892–1959), German botanist, world traveler and general plant collector with a specialty in cactus species, whose only trip to Brazil was in 1932.

Distribution and habitat:— Endemic to the state of Bahia, Brazil, in a relatively small area of high elevation cerrado (“gerais”) with sandy soils near Caetité. This type of cerrado vegetation could best be described as "campo limpo," because there are very few trees or shrubs. Most of the populations appear to be within a short radius of Caetité. However, a new population has been recently discovered about 120 km farther north near Macaúbas (Kelen Soares, pers. comm.).

Conservation:— This species has a very limited distribution in the cerrado regions just west of Caetité, Bahia, Brazil. It grows on top of a relatively flat mesa, where the soil is very deep and sandy but the vegetation is very low and where there is not much available water. The palm is fairly common in this area west and south of the city of Caetité along the road to Brejinho das Ametistas. There are no preserves or parks in this region. Since the land does not appear to be of any great agricultural value, and there is no soybean production in the area, this species is currently not threatened. Therefore, it is classified as least concern, LC.

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Phenology:— This species probably flowers and fruits year around, but flowering peaks in January and fruiting peaks in June and July. Nevertheless, sparse fruiting has been found in the summer (January–March). The germination of the seeds is slow with low germination success.

Uses:— The dried leaves are used in the handicraft making of sieves (peneiras) and brooms (vassouras), as its popular name suggests. The palm is ornamental, principally for its foliage. It could be successfully cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions.

Notes:— This is the only palm with a short, prostrate or subterranean stem with stiff leaves that have regularly spaced leaflets and a fine dense grayish-white to light brown, wooly tomentum covering all parts of its peduncle, rachis and rachillae. Currently there are five acaulescent palms in Bahia that can have leaves with regularly spaced pinnae: S. vagans , S. harleyi , S. itapebiensis , S. allagopteroides , and S. werdermannii , but none have the aforementioned tomentum, except S. werdermannii . Only two of these grow in a cerrado type environment, S. allagopteroides and S. werdermannii . This species was rediscovered by Glassman (1971a), after its holotype was destroyed.

The author received a recent report of a population of Syagrus werdermannii with unusually tall above ground stems near Macaúbas (Kelen Soares, pers. comm.), a distance of ca. 120 km north of the Caetité population. However, Soares (pers. comm.) reported that although Syagrus coronata grows in the same region, he does not believe these specimens are hybrids. Nevertheless, further study of this population is warranted.

Representative specimens:— BRAZIL. Bahia: Caetité, Serra do Serra do Espinhaço , –14.08, –42.50, October 1989, G.F.E. Abrahão s.n. ( MBML!) ; Brejinho das Ametistas , 2 km a SW da sede do povoado, 900 m, –14.07, – 42.48, 15 April 1983, A.M. de Carvalho et al. 1790 ( CEPEC!, US) ; Situ do Ouro, 15 km northwest of Caetité , – 14.07, –42.48, 6 July 1969, S. F. Glassman 8728–8739 ( ALCB!, CEPEC!, F!, MO!, NY!, RB) ; Caetité, Bacia medio Rio de Contas , km 1 estrada Brejinho das Ametistas, 17 October 1970, Andrade-Lima 70-6078 ( IPA!) ; Caetité , 29 March 1985, 3 km SW Caetite, estr. Para Brejinho das Ametistas, A.M. de Carvalho 3728 ( CEPEC!) ; Caetité, Serra Geral. Estrada para Brejinho das Ametistas, ca. 3 km de Caetité , 113 m, –14.089, –42.51, without date, M.L. Guedes s.n. ( CEPEC) ; Caetité , 900 m, 22 February 1986, J.L. de S. Lima s.n. ( HTSA!) ; Caetité, Região de Brejinhos das Ametistas , Área da Bahia Mineração , 985 m, –14.38, –42.56, April 2008, M.S. Mendes 259 ( HUEFS) ; Caetité , morro com antena das microundas de TV, cerrado ("gerais'), 800–1000 m, –14.07, –42.50, 25 May 1985, L.R. Noblick & Clodoaldo 3769 ( BH!, F!, HRB!, HUEFS!) ; Caetité, estrada para Brejinho das Ametistas , 0.5 km sul da BR 030, 900–1000 m, –14.08, –42.53, 29 January 1986, L.R. Noblick & J. Lobo 4519 ( BAH!, CEN!, CEPEC!, F!, FTG!, HUEFS!, K!, MO!, NY!, RB!) ; Caetité, 3–4 km W of Caetité on BR-030 (Caetité / Guanambi ), 1000 m, –14.07, –42.53, 11 July 1997, L.R. Noblick & J.B. de Macedo, Jr. 5138 ( IPA!) ; Caetité , –13.95, –42.31, 19 July 2011, M.V.C. Nogueira 8 ( HUEFS!) ; Caetité, BR-122, Brejinhos dos Ametistas , entrada para BR-50, –14.08, –42.51, 20 May 2004, G. Pereira-Silva et al. 9079 ( CEN, HUEFS!) ; Caetité , Serra Geral , –14.18, –42.49, 28 April 2003, N. Roque, 680 ( ALCB) ; Caetité , 2 August 1998, E.R. Salviani et al. 197, 198 ( HPL!) ; Caetité , Serra Geral, 1132 m, –14.09, –42.51, 28 April 2003, A.B. Xavier 01 ( ALCB) ; Igaporã, sentido Caetité , próximo a uma portaria, porém do ourto lado da pista, –13.77, –42.71, 16 April 2008, R. Tsuji & J. Jardim 2566 ( HPL!) .

Figures

FIGURE 86. Distribution maps of Syagrus vermicularis, S. weddelliana, S. werdermannii and S. yungasensis.

FIGURE 88. Syagrus werdermannii. A. Habit with José Lobo (Noblick & Lobo 4519). B. Habit with a few strap-like juvenile leaves still persisting and Clodoaldo José de Morais showing off an infructescence (Noblick & Clodoaldo 3769). C. Habitat with driver. D. Palm with horizontal procumbent stem. E. Inflorescence with whitish tomentum on the rachis, rachillae, and apex of the fruits on the infructescence. F. Inflorescence. G. Infructescence. H. Two leaf forms. Adult pinnate leaves on palm with inflorescence in the foreground and juvenile strap leaves still on the palm in the background.