Syagrus cerqueirana Noblick & Lorenzi (2010b: 28)

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

11. Syagrus cerqueirana Noblick & Lorenzi (2010b: 28) . Type:— BRAZIL. Mato Grosso do Sul: Ponta Porã, collected on the road to Antonio João near the fiscal post Aquibadã , located 21 km from Ponta Porã , 680 m, –22.37, – 55.73, 8 September 2008, H. Lorenzi & M. Pinho 6514 (holotype HPL!, isotype K!)

Figure 16 plate, Figure 13 map.

Small solitary or clustering palm less than 1 m tall. Stem short or subterranean, appearing acaulescent. Leaves medium-green, 5–9 per stem; sheath 15–30 cm long; pseudopetiole 13–23 cm long; petiole 7–24 cm long, both with smooth margins; rachis 43–75 cm long; leaflets 28–62 on each side of the rachis, linear with long acuminate, asymmetric to bifid apex, arranged in clusters of 2 or 3, no ramenta scales or tomentum present where the leaflets are inserted on the rachis, and none along the abaxial midvein; basal leaflets 19.0–28.5 × 0.4–0.7 cm, middle leaflets 20–33 × 0.5–1.2 cm, apical leaflets 7.5–22 × 0.1–0.3 cm. Inflorescence erect, unilaterally branched; prophyll 8–14 × 2.2–2.5 cm; peduncular bract 18–27 cm long, expanded portion 13–18 × 2.3–3.0 cm; peduncle 4– 9 cm long, thickness not measured; inflorescence axis 13–24 cm long; rachis 2–9 cm long with 4–12, unilaterally branched; rachillae 6–15 cm long; staminate flowers 7–8 × 3–5 mm, sepals 2.5 × 1.0– 1.5 mm, glabrous, petals 4 × 1.0– 1.3 mm with acute tips, nerves indistinct to slightly raised, stamens 3 mm long, anthers 1.5–2.0 mm long, filaments 1.5 mm long; pistillate flowers elongate conical, 10.0 × 6.5 mm at the apex, 12.0–12.5 × 7.5 mm at the base, glabrous, sepals 10–12 × 5 mm, petals 11 × 4–5 mm, ca. ½ of the petal length slightly valvate, ca. 4–5 mm long, glabrous, pistil 9 × 4 mm, glabrous, stigmas 4 mm long, glabrous, staminodal ring ca. 1 mm high, 6-dentate. Fruit ovoid, 2.3–3.5 × 1.2–2.2 cm, brownish-yellow, epicarp less than 1 mm thick, mesocarp thickness not measured, succulent and fibrous; endocarp 1.8–2.2 × 0.8–1.1 cm, 0.8–1.5 mm thick; seed 1.3–1.4 × 0.9–1.0 cm, endosperm homogeneous with no central cavity. Germination remote ligular.

46 • Phytotaxa 294 (1) © 2017 Magnolia Press

NOBLICK A REVISION OF THE GENUS SYAGRUS

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Common name:— acumã-mirim.

Etymology:— This palm is named in honor of a friend and palm enthusiast, Luiz Sergio Coelho de Cerqueira of Pará, who aided both of the author and Harri Lorenzi while doing palm research in the Amazon region and due to his untimely death will be sorely missed.

Distribution and habitat:— Paraguay (region of the Cerra Cora National Park) and in the southern part of the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, in cerrado, generally in sandy to rocky clay soils. It also may be in São Paulo , in cerrado, generally in sandy to rocky clay soils. This palm appears to compete well with other aggressive roadside vegetation. At this writing it is one of three acaulescent Syagrus in Paraguay, the other two being the diminutive S. lilliputiana and the colonial S. campylospatha .

Conservation:— This species is protected within the borders of a national park (Cerra Cora) in Paraguay. Outside of such parks and reserves, it is threatened, as it grows in soils that are valuable for soybean agriculture. Therefore, this palm is classified as vulnerable, VU B2ab(ii,iii) C1.

Phenology:— Fruits sparsely in summer, and seeds are generally eaten by insects. The germination rate is slow and low. Flowering specimens also seen in June.

Uses:— Palm is an attractive ornamental by the rounded form of some of its clusters and by its bright green coloration. It fits in very well with the composition of rock gardens in full sun.

Notes:— This is a clustering acaulescent or short stemmed palm that has unilaterally branched inflorescences (rachillae attached to one side of the rachis). It often grows in colonies.

This palm has traditionally and mistakenly been called S. petraea in Paraguay. However it differs significantly from the type Bolivian S. petraea . A comparison of their leaflet anatomy with that of the Bolivian material collected from the type locality confirms that they are different. Syagrus cerqueirana has small vascular bundles on both surfaces of the leaflet and very few nonvascular fibers on either surface, while the Bolivian S. petraea has small vascular bundles only along the abaxial surface and an abundance of nonvascular fibers along the adaxial surface. Syagrus cerqueirana has leaflet anatomy similar to S. allagopteroides ( Noblick 2013a) , which grows above 600 m in Bahia, Goiás and Minas Gerais, but it is a larger plant with a leaf rachis 43–75 vs. 23–52 cm and middle leaflets 20–33 vs. 12–20 cm. Also S. allagopteroides tends to be solitary, but S. cerqueirana tends to be clustering.

Representative specimens:— BRAZIL. Mato Grosso do Sul: Entre Goiás and Cuyaba, November– December 1844, Weddell 2990 (P! [P-01797440 identified as S. campestris ]); Aquidauana , 24 June 1946, J.R. Swallen 9520 ( US!) ; Ponta Porã, road to Antonio João, near the service station, Posto Aquibadá , ca. 21 km N of Ponta Porã, –22.37, –55.74, 10 October 2001, H. Lorenzi 2804 ( FTG!) ; Ponta Porã, na estrada entre Ponta Porã e Antônio João , nas proximidades do trilho do trem, 14 March 2005, R. Tsuji & E.R. Salviani 1029 ( HPL!) ; Ponta Porã, estrada p/ Antônio João (do direito junto a estrada do ferro), a ca. 21 km de P. Porã e a 1 km do posto fiscal Aquibada-Paraguai , 8 September 2008, H. Lorenzi 6512 ( HPL!) ; Três Lagoas, na estrada para Água Clara (km 24.5) 12–15 km S of Três Lagoas on the road to Brasilândia , 19 January 2009, H. Lorenzi et al. 6577, 6578 ( HPL!) ; PARAGUAY. Amambay: Parque Nacional Cerro Corá , –22.67, –56.08, January 1983, W.J. Hahn et al. 1765 ( MO) ; Amambay, Cerro Cora National Park , W side of the main entrance road into the park, 270 m, –22.66, – 56.03, 18 February 1996, L.R. Noblick et al. 5126 ( FCQ!, FTG!, PY!) ; Amambay, camino entre Ruta 5 y Bella Vista , 42 km S de Bella Vista, May 1974, A. Schinini & E. Bordas 8992 ( CTES!, F!) ; Amambay, Cerro Corá , August 1980, A. Schinini & E. Bordas 20288 (C, CTES!, F!, G, MICH, MO!, UC) ; Amambay, Parque Nacional Cerro Corá , –22.67, –56.08, 6 January 1988, J.C. Solomon et al. 7014 ( MO, PY) ; Amambay, P. N. Cerro Cora, camino al Cerro Trebol , –22.42, –57.97, 5 May 1989, N. Soria 3634 ( FCQ!) ; Amambay, Parque Nacional Cerro Corá, camino al Cerro Muralla , 6 January 1988, E.M. Zardini et al. 4090 ( FCQ!) ;.

Figures

FIGURE 13. Distribution maps of Syagrus cataphracta, S. cearensis, S. cerqueirana, S. cocoides and S. comosa.

FIGURE 16. Syagrus cerqueirana. A. Habit. B. Infructescence, Noblick et al. 5126. C. Herbarium sheet showing unilateral infructescence, H. Lorenzi 6577. Yellow scale is in inches and centimeters. D. Close up of inflorescence and infructescence on the plant. E. Inflorescence with pistillate flowers. F. Pistillate flowers and pistils above and staminate flowers below. G. Endocarps. All grids are in centimeters.