Brahea sarukhanii H.J.Quero, Palms 44: 110 (2000)

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Distribution

Map uses TDWG level 3 distributions (https://github.com/tdwg/wgsrpd)
Mexico Southwest present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)A

Habitat

  • This new species is known only from the mountain regions of Ameca, Jalisco and near the border between the states of Nayarit and Jalisco, on hillsides with abundant basaltic rocks. It is an important element of the physiognomy of the Dry Tropical Forest and Pine-Oak Forest of that region where it grows at an elevation between 1100 and 1650 m. The most similar speciesto the new one are Brahea aculeata, B. dulcis and B. pimo; however, B. sarukhanii differs from B. aculeata in its smaller oblong fruits and the scarce, small teeth of petioles. From B. dulcis it differs in that the fruits are nearly double the size and the rachillae are shorter. In contrast with B. pimo, it has thicker rachillae, larger fruit and more sparsely armed petioles. (Quero, H.J. 2000: Brahea sarukhanii, a new species of palm from Mexico. – Palms; Journal of the International Palm Society 44(3): 109-113)B

Description

  • Palms to 5 m tall. Trunk solitary 10-15 cm diam. with persistent sheaths and petiole bases through almost all its length. Crown with ca. 12-18 leaves. Leaf to 1.60 m long; petioles glabrous, 45-90 cm long, 15-22 mm wide at the base, 10-12 mm wide at the apex, armed with small teeth ca. 1.2 mm long at least toward the base, usually flat above convex below, abaxially projected in a small costa 5-9 cm long, hastula triangular with short membranaceous point; blade scarcely costapalmate, circular in general outline, 80-115 cm diam., with 52-67 segments and a palman of 30-50% of the radius of the blade, at least in the middle; central segments 60-80 cm long, 1.8-4.0 cm wide, the free portion deeply bifurcate, each portion with entire apex, and prominent, numerous closely spaced secondary nerves with connecting cross veinlets visible underneath. Inflorescence arching, equal to or slightly exceeding the leaves, 120-150 cm long; prophyll bicarinate with triangular apex, opening apically, ca. 20 cm long, 35-40 mm wide; peduncular bracts 2; rachis bracts with triangular apices; peduncle less than 1/3 the length of the inflorescence; primary branches 7 (-9), rachillae 8.0-14 cm long, 3.0-3.5 mm diam., densely woolly-tomentose. Flowers solitary, creamy-white, 3.5 mm long; floral bracts and the base of calyx sunken in the tomentum; calyx 1.2-1.5 mm high, sepals canescent in the upper inner surface, free and imbricate; corolla at least twice the length of the calyx, petals triangular ascendent, imbricate and connate at base, valvate above, 2.5-3.0 mm long, strongly costate when dry, canescent at the outer base; stamens shorter than the petals, anthers 1.5 mm long; pistil ca. 2.0 mm long with connate styles, ovary pyramidal, lightly stipitate with free carpels, canescent at the base, shorter than the style, stigma punctiform. Fruit ellipsoid to nearly oblong, sometimes slightly falcoid, 18-20x12-16 mm with blunt subapical ventral stigmatic remnant and a median ventral groove, creamy and canescent when young, black and glabrous at maturity; epicarp smooth, mesocarp fleshy and fibrous to 2.5 mm thick, endocarp cartaceous. Seed oblong, smooth, 14-16x12-13 mm, endosperm homogeneous intruded by a horny ventral postament; embryo subbasal. (Quero, H.J. 2000: Brahea sarukhanii, a new species of palm from Mexico. – Palms; Journal of the International Palm Society 44(3): 109-113)B

Materials Examined

  • Mexico: Nayarit: 20 km SE of Ixtlan del Rio on road to Guadalajara, Quero 3791 (Holotype MEXU, isotypes BH, NY, US); 19.5 km SE of Ixtlan del Rio, Quero 3792 (MEXU); 19 km S of lxtlan del Rio, Quero 3567 (MEXU).
    Jalisco: 120 km SE of Tepic, along highway 15, F.C. Boutin 2092 (BH); Km 800 on highway from Guadalajara to Tepic, near the border between Jalisco and Nayarit, H.E. Moore & V. Cetto 6043 (BH, NY); Municipio Hostotipaquillo, 2 km W of Plan de Barrancas, Omelas 1544 (IBUG); 13 km NW of Ameca, beyond the Realito on road to Guachinango, Gonzalez Villarreal 653 (IBUG); 3 km from Nayarit border along road from Tepic to Guadalaiara; S. Zona, O. Dorado, O. TeIIez 246 (FTG); 2.5 Km E of the border between Nayarit and Jalisco, Quero 3701, 3702 (MEXU); 3 km E of the border between Nayarit and Jalisco, Quero 3766, 3767 (MEXU); 7 km NW of tollbooth Plan de Barrancas, on the tollroad Guadalajara-Tepic, Quero 3624 (MEXU); Platanal bridge, 5 km SE the border between Nayarit and Jalisco, on the tollroad, Quero 3678 (MEXU); Km 85.5 on the tollroad Guadalaj ara-Tepic, Quero 3774 (MEXU) ; 27.8 km W of Ameca on road to Mascota, Quero 3775 (MEXU); 29 km W of Ameca on road to Guachinango and Mascota, Quero 3732, 3733 (MEXU); 30 km W of Ameca on road to Guachinango and Mascota, Quero 3731 (MEXU). In addition, numerous observations and measurements were made from randomly distributed plants in each population. (Quero, H.J. 2000: Brahea sarukhanii, a new species of palm from Mexico. – Palms; Journal of the International Palm Society 44(3): 109-113)B

Bibliography

    A. World Checklist of Arecaceae
    B. Quero, H.J. 2000: Brahea sarukhanii, a new species of palm from Mexico. – Palms; Journal of the International Palm Society 44(3): 109-113