Ceratozamia mexicana Brongn., Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot. ser . 3, 5: 8, t. 1. 1846.

Martinez-Dominguez, Lili, Nicolalde-Morejon, Fernando, Vergara-Silva, Francisco & Stevenson, Dennis Wm., 2022, Monograph of Ceratozamia (Zamiaceae, Cycadales): an endangered genus, PhytoKeys 208, pp. 1-102 : 1

publication ID

https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.208.80382

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/83C42D63-182C-5A58-A086-8E76413D78AB

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scientific name

Ceratozamia mexicana Brongn., Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot. ser . 3, 5: 8, t. 1. 1846.
status

 

18. Ceratozamia mexicana Brongn., Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot. ser. 3, 5: 8, t. 1. 1846.

Figs 7E View Figure 7 , 11B View Figure 11

Ceratozamia intermedia Miq., Tijdschr. Wis-Natuurk. Wetensch. Eerste Kl. Kon. Ned. Inst. Wetensch. 1(4): 40. 1848. Type. Mexico. Veracruz: Mun. Puente Nacional, 1 km S of Palmillas, 600 m, 13 Mar 1985, G. Castillo-Campo & Medina 4275 (neotype, designated by Martínez-Domínguez et al. 2018a, pg. 111: XAL! [acc. # 16924]).

Ceratozamia longifolia Miq., Tijdschr. Wis-Natuurk. Wetensch. Eerste Kl. Kon. Ned. Inst. Wetensch. 1(4): 40. 1848. Type. Mexico. Veracruz: Mun. Zacuapam, Apr 1913, C. Purpus s.n. [6362]! (neotype, designated by Martínez-Domínguez et al. 2018a, pg. 111: MO! [acc. # 741393]).

Ceratozamia longifolia Miq. var. minor Miq., Tijdschr. Wis-Natuurk. Wetensch. Eerste Kl. Kon. Ned. Inst. Wetensch. 2(4): 290. 1849. Type. Mexico. Veracruz: Mun. Teocelo, Barranca of Teocelo, 1,020 m, 23 Dec 1975, M.G. Zola 146 (neotype, designated by Martínez-Domínguez et al. 2018a, pg. 111: XAL! [acc. # 16957]).

Ceratozamia mexicana Brongn. var. longifolia (Miq.) Dyer, Biol. Cent.-Amer., Bot. 3: 193. 1884. Type: Based on Ceratozamia longifolia Miq.

Type.

Cultivated in Paris "Hort. Bot. Parisiensis", original material sent by A. Ghiesbrecht from Mexico, 1845, Anon. s.n. (holotype: P! [P02441737, P01637464-P01637466]). Mexico. Veracruz: Mun. Totutla, Barranca El Coyotito, 1 km road from El Mirador to Conejos , 900 m, 8 Sep 1982, J. Rees & A.P. Vovides 1688 (epitype, designated by Vovides et al. 2016, pg. 427: XAL! [acc. # 17004]) .

Description.

Stem 20-80 cm long, 20-45 cm in diameter, epigeous, erect and decumbent. Cataphylls 2-6 × 2.5-6 cm wide at the base, persistent, triangular, reddish brown, densely brown tomentose at emergence, partially tomentose at maturity, apex acuminate. Leaves 5-55, 100-270 cm long, descending, green at emergence, with brown trichomes, glabrous at maturity. Petiole 30-93 cm long, terete, linear, dark green in mature leaves; with 8-30 thin prickles, 0.06-0.20 cm long. Rachis 56-154 cm long, terete, linear, green in mature leaves, with prickles and unarmed. Leaflets 25-42 pairs, opposite to subopposite, insertion in one plane, lanceolate, in general longitudinally planar, basally falcate, coriaceous, flat, green with adaxial and abaxial sides glabrous, distal end with entire margins, acuminate and symmetrical at the apex, attenuate at base, with conspicuous and green-light veins; median leaflets 29-51 × 2.3-3.7 cm, 1.8-4 cm between leaflets; articulations 0.6-1.5 cm wide, green. Pollen strobili 20-40 cm long, 4.5-7.6 cm in diameter, generally solitary (1-2), cylindrical, erect, greenish yellow at emergence, greenish yellow with blackish trichomes at maturity; peduncle 3.5-9 cm long, 1.5-2.3 cm in diameter, tomentose, reddish brown to light-brown; microsporophylls 1.5-2.7 × 0.9-2.1 cm, obconic with a non-recurved distal face and a lobate fertile portion, infertile portion 0.47-0.68 cm long and orbicular with straight horns 0.29-0.40 cm long, 0.51-1.05 cm and an acute angle between the horns. Ovulate strobili 23.5-40 cm long, 8-15 cm in diameter, generally solitary (1-2), cylindrical, erect, dark green with blackish trichomes at emergence, dark green with black and gray trichomes at maturity, acuminate apex; peduncle 7.6-11.5 cm long, 2.5-3 cm in diameter, tomentose, brown to reddish brown, erect or pendulous; megasporophylls 64-240, 8-16 orthostichies with 8-15 sporophylls per orthostichy, 2.0-2.7 × 3.2-5.3 cm, with a prominent distal face, horns straight and 0.53-1.2 cm long, 1-2.1 cm between horns and a right angle between the horns. Seeds 2.0-3.3 cm long, 1.4-2.5 cm in diameter, ovate, sarcotesta whitish yellow to yellow when immature, light brown at maturity.

Distribution and habitat.

Ceratozamia mexicana is endemic to Veracruz State, Mexico from the River La Antigua drainage system to the southern end of the Sierra Madre Oriental (Fig. 20B View Figure 20 ). It occurs in cloud forest on karstic rocks at 500-1,100 m.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is derived from the country of origin of the material used for the description of this species. Ceratozamia mexicana was the first species described in the genus.

Common names.

None recorded.

Uses.

None recorded.

Conservation status.

( IUCN 2021). Ceratozamia mexicana is listed as “Vulnerable” under criteria A2acd+4cd. According to the current circumscription, this species only occurs in a narrow area, which suffered dramatic decline in forest ( Martínez-Domínguez et al. 2021). Besides, the populations visited by us have only between 30 and 50 adult plants. This data suggest C. mexicana should be listed as "Critically Endangered (CR)" under criteria B1ab(iiii, iv)

Discussion.

Ceratozamia mexicana is similar to C. tenuis , C. morettii and C. brevifrons , but it can be easily distinguished from vegetative and reproductive chracters. This species has lanceolate leaflets, whereas C. tenuis and C. morettii have linear and oblong leaflets, respectively. In addition, C. mexicana has insertion in one plane for leaflets and thin prickles on petiole, whereas C. brevifrons has keeled leaflets and petioles armed with robust prickles.

Specimens examined.

Mexico. Veracruz: Mun. Coatepec , 1,600 m, 26 Jun 1990, P. Zamora C. 2450 (MEXU, XAL). Mun. Comapa, 1,003 m, 18 Feb 2013, F. Nicolalde-Morejón et al. 1732 - 1734 (CIB); 1,003 m, 28 Sep 2014, F. Nicolalde-Morejón et al. 2145 - 2156 (CIB); 970 m, 13 Nov 2015, F. Nicolalde-Morejón et al. 2269 - 2272 (CIB); 1,003 m, 28 Sep 2014, L. Martínez-Domínguez et al. 164 (CIB); 970 m, 13 Nov 2015, L. Martínez-Domínguez & F. Nicolalde-Morejón 716 - 723, 725 - 730 (CIB), 724 (CIB, MEXU). Mun. Puente Nacional, 600 m, 13 Mar 1985, G. Castillo-Campos & M. E. Medina 4299 (XAL). Mun. Sochiapa, 1,058 m, 9 Jul 2008, M. Vázquez-Torres 8589 (CIB). Mun. Teocelo, 900 m, 16 Feb 1997, L.H. Bojórquez-Galván et al. 531 (CIB); 1,070 m, 20 Nov 2015, F. Nicolalde-Morejón et al. 2273 - 2278 (CIB); 1,065 m, 20 Nov 2015, L. Martínez-Domínguez et al. 731 (CIB); 1,070 m, 20 Nov 2015, L. Martínez-Domínguez et al. 732-733, 735 - 750 (CIB), 734 (CIB, MEXU); 1,070 m, 11 Mar 2016, L. Martínez-Domínguez et al. 764, 765, 767- 770 (CIB), 766 (CIB, MEXU); 740-800 m, 20 Jul 1995, M. Vazquez-Torres 4865 (CIB). Mun. Tlaltetela, 1,196 m, 5 Jun 2015, F. Nicolalde-Morejón & L. Martínez-Domínguez 2242 (CIB); 1,084 m, 5 Jun 2015, F. Nicolalde-Morejón & L. Martínez-Domínguez 2243 (CIB); 1,196 m, 10 Jun 2015, F. Nicolalde-Morejón & L. Martínez-Domínguez 2246 (CIB); 1,130 m, 21 Jun 2015, F. Nicolalde-Morejón & L. Martínez-Domínguez 2253 - 2257 (CIB); 1,084 m, 5 Jun 2015, L. Martínez-Domínguez & F. Nicolalde-Morejón 584 - 586 (CIB); 1,196 m, 10 Jun 2015, L. Martínez-Domínguez & F. Nicolalde-Morejón 620 (CIB); 1,130 m, 21 Jun 2015, L. Martínez-Domínguez & F. Nicolalde-Morejón 628 - 635 (CIB). Mun. Totutla, 900 m, 23 Feb 1982, A.P. Vovides 730 - 733 (XAL); 900 m, 8 Sep 1982, A.P. Vovides 748 (XAL); 900 m, 9 Oct 1993, Brigada T. Walters s/n (XAL); 875 m, 8 Aug 2015, F. Nicolalde-Morejón et al. 2262 (CIB); 864 m, 27 Jan 2016, F. Nicolalde-Morejón et al. 2279 - 2281 (CIB); F. Vázquez B. 730 (XAL); 1,094 m, 21 Jun 2016, J.M. Ramírez-Amezcua & A. Paizanni Guillén 715 (MEXU); 8 Sep 1982, J. Rees 6344 (IEB); 800 m, 30 Dec 1975, J. Rees & A.P. Vovides 1660, 1672 (XAL); 900 m, 8 Sep 1982, J. Rees & A.P. Vovides 1689 (XAL); 875 m, 8 Aug 2015, L. Martínez-Domínguez et al. 704 - 707 (CIB); 864 m, 27 Jan 2016, L. Martínez-Domínguez et al. 752, 754-757 (CIB, MEXU), 758 (CIB). Mun. Xico, 1,195 m, 10 Jul 2015, L. Martínez-Domínguez & F. Nicolalde-Morejón 640 - 646 (CIB); 1,159 m, 10 Jul 2015, L. Martínez-Domínguez & F. Nicolalde-Morejón 647, 648 (CIB); 900 m, 13 Nov 1981, M. Nee 23035 (NY).

Kingdom

Plantae

Phylum

Tracheophyta

Class

Cycadopsida

Order

Cycadales

Family

Zamiaceae

Genus

Ceratozamia