A revision of Coccothrinax, Hemithrinax, Leucothrinax, Thrinax, and Zombia (Arecaceae)
Author
Henderson, Andrew
text
Phytotaxa
2023
2023-09-19
614
1
1
115
http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.614.1.1
journal article
10.11646/phytotaxa.614.1.1
1179-3163
8389307
1.7.
Coccothrinax borhidiana
Muñiz
in
Borhidi, Imchanitskaya & Muñiz (1978: 437)
.
Lectotype
(designated by
Moya 2021
):—
CUBA
.
Matanzas
,
Punta Seburoco
inter
Jibacoa
y
Matanzas
,
14 May 1970
,
O
. Muñiz 27118
(
holotype
HAC
!, isotype
BP
n.v.
,
BP
image!).
Plate 7
Stems
length not recorded, 14.0 cm diameter, solitary.
Leaves
persistent, giving a ‘skirt’ of dead leaves covering the stem; leaf sheath fibers 0.5(0.4–0.6) mm diameter, thin, flimsy, loosely woven, free and greatly elongate at the apices; petioles 16.4(15.2–18.2) mm diameter just below the apex; palmans 19.8(18.0–21.5) cm long, relatively short, with the adaxial veins prominent and terminating in a slight raised ridge and distinct pulvinus; leaf blades not wedge-shaped; segments 34–35 per leaf, the middle ones 58.6(52.0–62.5) cm long and 3.7(3.0–4.5) cm wide; segments not pendulous at the apices, giving the leaf a flat appearance; middle leaf segments relatively short and broad, abruptly narrowed (shoulder) toward the apex, otherwise parallel-sided, often strongly folded, stiff and leathery, the apices briefly splitting; middle leaf segment apices attenuate; leaf segments not waxy or sometimes with a deciduous, thin layer of wax adaxially; leaf segments densely indumentose abaxially, with irregularly shaped, persistent, interlocking, fimbriate hairs, each one with a rounded, raised, light green to greenish-brown center, without transverse veinlets.
Inflorescences
erect, at least initially, amongst or above the leaves, with few partial inflorescences; rachis bracts narrow, closely sheathing, sparsely tomentose, usually without hairs at the apex; partial inflorescences 5; proximalmost rachillae straight, 9.2(7.0–15.0) cm long and 1.1(1.0–1.2) mm diameter in fruit; rachillae at or near anthesis not recorded; stamens 8; fruit pedicels 2.8(2.2–3.2) mm long;
fruits
6.2(5.8–6.5) mm long and 7.1(6.3–8.0) mm diameter, black; fruit surfaces smooth or sometimes with projecting fibers; seeds not recorded.
PLATE 7
.
Coccothrinax borhidiana
, Cuba, with stems covered with persistent dead leaves, giving a ‘skirt’ of dead leaves, and short petioles giving a compact crown of leaves. (Image by Héctor M. Díaz).
Distribution and habitat:—
Cuba
(
Matanzas
) (
Fig. 10
), open areas on sandy or rocky soils near the sea at
7 m
elevation.
Craft (2017)
described the habitat as littoral scrub forest on dog’s tooth limestone.
Taxonomic notes:—
As a preliminary species,
Coccothrinax borhidiana
has a unique combination of qualitative character states and is recognized as a phylogenetic species. It appears similar to
C. crinita
in its elongate sheath fibers, differing in its persistent leaves, giving a ‘skirt’ of dead leaves covering the stem and smaller fruits. Petioles are relatively short, hence the compact crown of leaves.