Syagrus × cipoensis Soares & Assis (2015: 117)

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

69. Syagrus × cipoensis Soares & Assis (2015: 117) . ( S. glaucescens × S. oleracea )

Type:— BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: município de Conceição do Mato Dentro, near the district of Tabuleiro , –19.05, –43.54, 28 October 2015, K. Soares &, L. Assis 62 (holotype HDCF, isotype BHCB) .

Figure 90 map.

Moderate, solitary palm with columnar Stem ca. 8–16 m × 18–23 cm, covered with leaf base remains on the uppermost parts of the stem, spirally inserted in vertical rows, when the sheaths fall, the scars remaining resemble Syagrus glaucescens . Leaves ca. 18–25, ca. 180–230 cm long; sheathing leaf base 80–100 × 22–30 cm, dark green adaxially, glaucous abaxially, margins with hair-like fibers; pseudopetiole 33–40 cm long; petiole 13–24 × 2.8–3.2 cm, covered with dense brownish, farinose, more or less pruinose tomentum; rachis 170–200 cm long, densely tomentose; leaflets irregularly arranged, rigid, long-lanceolate, straight, thin-leathery, straight, dark green adaxially, glaucous abaxially with an asymmetric tip, 99–120 per side, in clusters of 3–5, inserted at various angles; basal leaflets 60–87 × 1.4–1.8 cm, middle leaflets 58–80 × 3.3–3.4 cm, apical leaflets 28–30 × 1.4–2.0 cm. Inflorescence erect to pendulous, spirally branched; prophyll 45–50 × 5 cm; peduncular bract 110–115 cm long, expanded portion 70–75 × 12–18 cm, including a 3 cm beak, woody, sulcate, green, covered with light brown indumentum; peduncle ca. 40–46 × 2.3–2.5 cm, elliptical in cross-section, densely tomentose; inflorescence axis ca. 62–77 cm long; rachis 40–46 cm long; rachillae, spirally arranged, 32–37, 22–31 cm long at the apex, 39– 34 cm in the middle, 37–44 cm at the base; staminate flowers 12–15 mm long, cream, yellow-green to yellow, sepals 1 mm long, glabrous, petals 10–13 × 4–5 mm, glabrous, with acute tips, stamens 5–6 mm long, anthers 5–6 mm long, filaments 2–3 mm long, pistillode 1.5 mm long, basal pistillate flowers pyramidal or ovoid, 18–21 × 8–11 mm, sepals 18–20 × 14–15 mm, yellow, petals 14–15 × 8–11 mm, glabrous, pistil 10–11 mm long, ovoid, stigmas not measured, glabrous. Fruit 4.5–5.5 × 3.5–4.2 cm, greenish-yellow when mature, with dense brownish indumentum at apex (like a halo), ovoid, epicarp less than 0.5 mm thick, mesocarp thickness not measured, yellow, oily, succulent and fibrous; endocarp, ovoid, 4.0–4.4 × 2.5–2.8 cm; seed ellipsoid, endosperm homogeneous.

Common name:— None recorded.

Etymology:— The specific epithet, cipoensis , refers to the Serra do Cipó, located in the Espinhaço mountain range, Minas Gerais, Brazil, where this hybrid is commonly found.

Distribution and habitat:— This hybrid is found where S. glaucescens and S. oleracea grow together in the Serra do Cipó (municipalities of Conceição do Mato Dentro, Cardeal Mota, Jaboticatubas, and Santana do Riacho)

Conservation:— It is occasional to locally common. When recognized, locals often transplant it to their gardens.

Phenology:— It has been found with flowers and fruit in the month of October.

Uses:— This palm has landscape potential due to its beauty, hardiness and fast growth. It is a fertile hybrid. It has an edible endosperm or nut that the locals gather to eat raw or roasted.

Notes:— This hybrid shows characters intermediate between S. glaucescens and S. oleracea . It differs from S. glaucescens by taller, thicker stems (8–16 × 18–23 vs. 0.5–4 × 8–12 cm), larger leaf rachis (180–230 vs. 62–118 cm) and larger inflorescence rachis (40–46 vs. 5–16 cm) with more rachillae (32–37 vs.5–17) and larger fruits

A REVISION OF THE GENUS SYAGRUS

Phytotaxa 294 (1) © 2017 Magnolia Press • 229 (4.5–5.5 vs. 2–3 cm long) and endocarps (4.0–4.4 vs. 1.2–1.4 cm long). It differs from S. oleracea by leaf sheaths adhering to the stem for a long time, leaving deep scars on its surface when they fall off. It also has more rigid and abaxially glaucous leaflets. This S. glaucescens × S. oleracea hybrid resembles Syagrus × serroana , but differs by having a shorter inflorescence rachis (40–46 vs. 45–55 cm), fewer rachillae (32–37 vs. 60–70), larger pistillate flowers (18–21 vs. 10–12 mm long), larger staminate flowers (12–15 vs. 9–10 mm long), larger fruits (4.5–5.5 vs. 4.2–4.5 cm long), and larger endocarps (4.0–4.4 vs. 2.8–3.5 cm long).

Representative specimens:— Known only from the type specimen.

Figures

FIGURE 90. Distribution map of Syagrus hybrids. S. × altopalacioensis, S. × andrequiceana, S. × campos-portoana, S. × cipoensis, S. comosa × elata, S. × costae, S. × lacerdamourae, S. × matafome, S. × mirandana, S. × serroana, S. × teixeiriana, and S. × tostana.