Ceratozamia sabatoi Vovides, Vazq .Torres, Schutzman & Iglesias, Novon 3 (4): 502. 1993

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

27. Ceratozamia sabatoi Vovides, Vazq.Torres, Schutzman & Iglesias, Novon 3 (4): 502. 1993

Figs 1A , 27D

Type.

Mexico. Querétaro: Mun. San Joaquín, La Mojonera, 2 km on road San Joaquín-El Aguacate , 1,850 m, 15 Apr 1991, A.P. Vovides & P. Fawcett 1205 ♀ (holotype: XAL! [XAL0005310]) .

Description.

Stem 8-30 cm long, 20-35 cm in diameter, epigeous, erect and decumbent. Cataphylls 3-4.5 × 2-3.5 cm wide at the base, persistent, triangular, reddish brown, densely brown tomentose at emergence, partially tomentose at maturity, apex acuminate. Leaves 3-40, 60-129 cm long, descending, dark brown at emergence with whitish gray trichomes, glabrous at maturity. Petiole 20-60 cm long, terete, linear, greenish brown in mature leaves; with 5-40 thin prickles, 0.02-0.19 cm long. Rachis 40-92 cm long, terete, linear, brown in mature leaves, with prickles. Leaflets 26-54 pairs, opposite to subopposite, insertion in one plane, linear, longitudinally curved abaxially to planar, basally falcate, papyraceous, 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 13-32 × 0.6-1.5 cm, 0.5-1.5 cm between leaflets; articulations 0.3-0.7 cm wide, brown. Pollen strobili 11-18 cm long, 3.5-4.8 cm in diameter, solitary, cylindrical, erect, greenish yellow at emergence, greenish yellow with blackish trichomes at maturity; peduncle 7-13 cm long, 1.1-1.9 cm in diameter, tomentose, reddish brown to brown; microsporophylls 1.0-1.9 × 0.85-1.90 cm, discoid with a recurved downward distal face and lobate fertile portion, infertile portion 0.33-0.43 cm long and rounded with straight horns 0.06-0.20 cm long, 0.30-0.71 cm and a right angle between the horns. Ovulate strobili 14-19.5 cm long, 5.5-8.5 cm in diameter, solitary, cylindrical, erect, yellowish green with brown trichomes at emergence, blue green with blackish trichomes at maturity, apiculate apex; peduncle 3.5-7 cm long, 1.2-2.5 cm in diameter, erect, tomentose, brown; megasporophylls 72-110, 8-10 orthostichies with 9-11 sporophylls per orthostichy, 3.5-5 × 3.8-4.5 cm, with a truncate distal face, horns straight and 0.28-0.40 cm long, 1.2-1.6 cm between horns with a right angle between the horns. Seeds 1.2-2.0 cm long, 1.2-1.5 cm in diameter, ovate, sarcotesta whitish red when immature, light brown at maturity.

Distribution and habitat.

Ceratozamia sabatoi is endemic to the Sierra Gorda mountain range in Mexico, particularly in Querétaro and Hidalgo States (Fig. 22C ), where it occurs in the understory herbaceous layer of the transition zone between oak forest and cloud forest at 1,600-1,900 m.

Etymology.

The specific epithet honors Sergio Sabato, a distinguished professor at the University of Naples Federico II for his outstanding contributions to knowledge of the biology of Zamiaceae ( Vovides et al. 1993).

Common names.

None recorded.

Uses.

None recorded.

Conservation status.

( IUCN 2021). Ceratozamia sabatoi is listed as “Endangered” under criteria A2c; B1ab(i,ii,iv)+2ab(i,ii,iv); C1.

Discussion.

Ceratozamia sabatoi differs from all Ceratozamia species by its microsporophylls with a recurved downward distal face. In addition, this species differs from C. kuesteriana by its flat leaflets and descending leaves.

Specimens examined.

Mexico. Hidalgo: Mun. Jacala de Ledezma , 1,725 m, 16 Aug 2007, A. Frias-Castro et al. 578 (IBUG); 1,500 m, 29 Oct 1946, H.E. Moore, Jr. 1788 (CHAPA). Mun. Zimapan , 2,000 m, 2 Jun 1989, M. Vázquez-Torres & J.P. Sclavo 4035 (CIB); 1,235 m, 22 May 2003, R. Contreras-Medina 55, 56 (XAL); 1,900 m, 13 Sep 1981, R. Fernandez-Nava 6561 (MEXU, MO, XAL). Querétaro: Mun. Cadereyta de Montes , 1,850 m, 15 Apr 1991, A.P. Vovides & K. Norstog 1193 (XAL); A.P. Vovides et al. 1196 - 1199 (XAL), 1203 (MEXU, XAL); 1,850 m, 15 Apr 1991,); A.P. Vovides 1201, 1205 (XAL) ; 1,924 m, 28 Mar 2015, F. Nicolalde-Morejón et al. 2169, 2170 (CIB); 1,924 m, 28 Mar 2015, L. Martínez-Domínguez et al. 313 - 343 (CIB); 29 Mar 1995, R. Fernández-Nava s/n (MEXU); 7 Dec 1990, R. Zirahuén-Ortega V. 328 (MEXU). Mun. Landa de Matamoros , 1,439 m, 12 Jan 2001, T.W. Walters 2001-05-A, B (XAL). Mun. Pinal de Amoles , 1,760 m, 17 Sep 2001, E. Carranza G. & I. Silva 6254 (MO) ; 1,678 m, 29 Mar 2015, F. Nicolalde-Morejón et al. 2171, 2172 (CIB); 1,678 m, 29 Mar 2015, L. Martínez-Domínguez et al. 344 - 372 (CIB); 1,700 m, 11 Dec 1988, Rzedowski s/n (XAL); 1,650 m, 4 Apr 1987, R. Fernández N. 3819 (ENCB).

Figures

Figure 1. Characters evaluated in reproductive structures A pollen strobilus of Ceratozamia sabatoi B pollen strobilus of C. santillanii C ovulate strobilus of C. aurantiaca D ovulate strobilus of C. zoquorum.

Figure 22. Distribution of Ceratozamia species. A C. osbornei B C. robusta C C. sabatoi D C. sancheziae.

Figure 27. Plants of Ceratozamia in habitat. A C. norstogii B C. oliversacksii C C. robusta D C. sabatoi E C. santillanii F C. tenuis G C. totonacorum H C. vovidesii I C. zaragozae.