Syagrus cardenasii Glassman (1967a: 238)

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

8. Syagrus cardenasii Glassman (1967a: 238) . Type:— BOLIVIA, Prov. of Chuquisaca: Sucre, between Montagudo and Muyupampa, without date, M. Cardenas 5500 (holotype BH!, isotypes MO, US!)

Figure 11 plate, Figure 4 map.

Medium-sized, usually clustering, rarely solitary palm. STEMS caulescent, 2–6 per cluster, ca. 0.5–4 m × 5 cm. Leaves 6–12; sheathing leaf base ca. 10–30 × ca. 4 cm; pseudopetiole ca. 38–120 cm long; petiole ca. 22 × 0.9–1.5 cm, thickness not measured; rachis 50–200 cm long; leaflets slightly lighter on the abaxial surface, linear with asymmetrical, bifid tips, (13–)32–75 along one side, in clusters of 2–4, inserted at various angles, giving the leaf a plumose appearance, often glaucous, abaxially tomentose, no ramenta scales or tomentum present where the leaflets are inserted on the rachis, and none along the abaxial midvein; basal leaflets 25–29 × 0.1–0.2 cm, middle leaflets (16–)30–69 × 0.5–1.9 cm, apical leaflets 10–20 × 0.2–0.3 cm with an asymmetric tip. Inflorescence erect, spirally branched; prophyll 8–40 × 3.5–4 cm; peduncular bract 100–130 cm long, expanded portion (10–)20–50 × 2–3.5 cm, including a 0–0.5 cm beak, 3–5.5 cm perimeter, 1–3 mm thickness, narrow, woody, sulcate, exterior with scattered thin indument, especially on the lower portion of the bract; peduncle ca. (15–)65–75(–90) cm × 7–9 mm, 4–5 mm thick, elliptical in cross-section, slightly tomentose; inflorescence axis 14–37 cm long; rachis 8–22 cm long; rachillae 6–18, glabrous, 5.5–21 cm long at the apex, 7.5–23 cm long at the base; staminate flowers 5–10 × 2–3 mm, yellow, sepals 1–3(–4) × 2–3 mm, glabrous, petals 5–9.5 × 1.5–5 mm with acute tips at the apex, glabrous, 10–11 × 1.5–5 mm at the base, nerves indistinct, stamens 3.5–8 mm long, anthers 5–6 mm long, filaments 1.5–3.5 mm long, pistillode less than 1 mm long; pistillate flowers elongate conical to pyramidal, 8–13 × 6–8 mm at the apex, 8–18 × 6–10 mm at the base, yellow, glabrous, sepals 7–16 × 4.5–7.5 mm, glabrous, petals 8–16 × 4– 6.5 mm, valvate tips usually ½ or more of the petal length, ca. 5–8 mm long, glabrous on upper portion, but with brownish lepidote scales on their base, pistil 6–7.5 × 4–6.5 mm, glabrous on the upper part but lepidote to

36 • Phytotaxa 294 (1) © 2017 Magnolia Press

NOBLICK tomentose on the lower half, stigmas 2.5–4.0 mm long, glabrous, staminodal ring ca. 1–2(–5) mm high, 6-dentate. Fruit ovoid 2.0–4.2 × 1.7–2.0 cm, green, yellowish green to orangish when mature, glabrous, epicarp thin less than 0.5 mm thick, mesocarp 1–2 mm thick, sweet-tasting, succulent and fibrous; endocarp ca. 1.8–2.0(–4) × 1.4–1.7 cm, 2–2.5 mm thick on the sides, 3–3.5 mm thick at the ends; seed ovoid ca. 1.1–1.9 × 0.5 cm, endosperm homogeneous. Germination remote-ligular.

Common name:— coricito, corosito, janchicoco, motzcuchi, sará.

Etymology:— The specific epithet, cardenasii , honors Martín Cárdenas Hermosa (1899–1973), who gathered the type collection in 1959 and is considered one of the most important botanists in Bolivia’s history. He recorded some 6,500 species of plants for Bolivia and also described 180 species of cactus ( Pinto 2008).

Distribution and habitat:— This palm is endemic to Bolivia ( Glassman 1987) growing in dry and open Cerrado regions. The plant is well established and known in Luis Calvo in the NE of Chuquisaca and also found in Santa Cruz in the provinces of A. Ibáñez, Cordillera, Florida, Sara and Vallegrande ( Moreno & Moreno 2006). The species grows on mountain sides in well-drained soils, in sandy to rocky soils in pastures among rocks and in open low, semideciduous forests. It grows at an elevation of 350–1,450 m (Moraes Ramírez 2004).

Conservation:— This palm is not rare and not threatened due to its habitat on steep rocky hillsides in western Bolivia. It recovers well from annual fires in pastures, in spite of having all of its leaves burned off ( Moreno & Moreno 2006). It is classified as least concern, LC.

Phenology:— Perhaps flowering and fruiting year around with flowers seen ca. March/April/May along with young fruits. Mature fruits seen in February.

Uses:— This palm has ornamental potential with its small size and attractive foliage. The mesocarp and the seed are edible. The domestic and wild animals also appreciate them. The plant is ornamental and occasionally cultivated.

Notes:— This is a variable clustering palm that is nearly acaulescent or with short thin stems. It resembles a S. flexuosa , but the rachillae are inserted at nearly perpendicular angles to the rachis and they spiral completely around the rachis, instead of being unilaterally arranged.

Representative specimens:— BOLIVIA: Beni: Forest inventory on Indian mound, –14.80, –64.41, 13 August 1993, W.L. Balée et al. 5030 ( MO) ; Chuquisaca: Luis Calvo, Iviaboti , 6 km al N de Cumandayli, 1,445 m, –19.38, –63.83, 8 September 1999, Murguía 2697a ( LPB, MO) ; Sud Cinti, entre Orocoté y El Palmar , 1,000 –1,150 m, – 19.38, –63.82, 31 May 1995, Holst et al. 4954 ( LPB, USZ) ; Hernanando Siles , 25 km NW Monteagudo-Padilla, 1,300 m, 7 October 1991, Kessler 3322 ( LPB) ; 24 km de Monteagudo en camino a Padilla , 1,200 m, –19.63, – 64.05, 28 June 1995, Kessler et al. 4931 ( LPB) ; Serranía Ithiandruro, hacienda Aperiate, 80 cm en camino a Monteagudo y Rosario de Tigure, 1,400 m, –19.32, –64.88, 21 March 1996, Serrano et al. 2000 ( LPB) . Chuquisaca, Sud Cinti, ca. 11 km al NW de la comunidad de Las Abras camino hacia la comunidad de El Palmar . Pendiente superior cerro Alto de Rosas , 862 m, –21.04, –64.22, 6 October 2005, R. Lozano 1376 ( HSB, MO, NY) ; Chuquisaca, Hernando Siles, Segunda Sección Huacareta , Canton Rosario del Ingri. Villa Hermosa , 1491 m, – 20.52, –63.82, 2 January 2008, M. Jiménez 829 ( HSB, MO) ; Chuquisaca, Luis Calvo, Municipio Villa Vaca Guzmán. Canton Iguembe, 1241 m, –20.70, –63.79, 17 October 2007, M. Jiménez 487 ( HSB, MO) ; Chuquisaca, Luis Calvo, Cantón : Monteagudo , Loc. : Monteagudo , 1 February 1997, L.R. Moreno 158 ( JBSC, NY) ; Santa Cruz: Andres Ibáñez , 3 km SW of center of La Bélgica, 360 m, –17.583333, –63.25, 2 January 1990, M.H. Nee et al. 38573 ( JBSC, MO, NY!) ; Andres Ibanez, Monumento Natural Espejillos , 795 m, –17.90, –63.45, 30 April 2008, G.A. Parada et al. 926 ( MO, NY, USZ) ; Cordillera Caparisito, 35 km ca. a Camiri , 1,200 m, 21 January 1980, Michel 77 ( LPB, MO) ; Florida. Road E from Bemejo towards the antennas, 2.8 km (by road) from the Santa Cruz-Samaipata Highway, –18.11, –63.95, 17 May 1998, M.H. Nee 49433 ( MO, NY!, US, USZ) ; Sara, La Bélgica — Colpa—Rio Jorge , 9 May 1989, L.R. Moreno 1 ( JBSC, LPB, NY!) ; Vallegrande, 18 km de Masicuri en camino a Boyuibe , 550 m, –18.98, –63.73, 9 July 1995, Kessler et al. 5254 ( LPB) ; Vallegrande, Canton: Masicuri , 5 km de Masicuri en camino a Vallegrande , 700 m, 25 February 1991, L.R. Moreno 76 ( JBSC, NY) ; Vallegrande, 2 km SSE Los Sitanos, canyon of Rio Los Sitanos , 1,400 m, –18.87, –63.95, 26 December 1989, M.H. Nee & Vargas 38458 (F!, JBSC, MO, NY!) ; Vallegrande, Entre Las Vueltas y Corosito , 1388 m, –18.87, –63.96, 28–29 November 2011, G.A. Parada et al. 3845 ( MO, USZ) ; Vallegrande , 1400 m, –18.87, –63.95, 2 September 1989, I.G. Vargas Caballero 285 ( LPB, MO, NY, USZ) ; Warnes , 2 km NW la Bélgica, 360 m, –17.57, –63.22, 19 February 1989, Betella 95, 96 ( NY, USZ) ; Colpa , 32 km N Santa Cruz, 400 m, December 1992, M. Moraes & A.J. Henderson 1314A ( LPB, MO) ; Santa Cruz, L.R. Moreno 59 ( JBSC) ; Santa Cruz, L.R. Moreno 90 ( JBSC) ; M. Saldias & Calerón 4708 ( USZ) .

A REVISION OF THE GENUS SYAGRUS

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Figures

FIGURE 4. Distribution maps of Syagrus allagopteroides, S. amara, S. angustifolia, S. botryophora, S. caerulescens, S. campestris, S. campylospatha, and S. cardenasii.

FIGURE 11. Syagrus cardenasii. A. Cultivated specimen with Luiz Moreno near Santa Cruz, Bolivia. B. Clustering habit. C. Close of leaf sheath fibers. D. Canopy of a multistemmed specimen. E. Infructescence. F. Inflorescence with open staminate flowers. G. Inflorescence with receptive pistillate flowers. H. Infructescence with hand for scale.