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The identity of Zamia katzeriana and Z. verschaffeltii (Zamiaceae)

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Abstract

The morphological variation of recently described species (also the older taxa) of Zamia distributed within southeastern Mexico that have wide, coriaceous leaflets is analyzed. The complex is designated as the Z. katzeriana species complex in reference to an historic collection of this name, which is also the earliest named species in the complex. The complex consists of Z. cremnophila, Z. lacandona, Z. splendens and Z. purpurea. During the 1990’s, Z. splendens was separately synonymized under Z. katzeriana and Z. verschaffeltii, both collected in Mexico by German collectors during the 18th century, but the precise locality is unknown. Information concerning the incomplete holotype of Z. verschaffeltii is particularly ambiguous, and the possible type locality suggested by Schuster, Socorro, is imprecise, thus generating taxonomic confusion. Morphometric characterization and discriminant analysis of the contemporary and historic collections (i.e., Z. katzeriana and Z. verschaffeltii) included all the known populations (11) and individuals (115) of the complex throughout its range. The results show that Z. verschaffeltii is not morphometrically related to any of the species in the complex and that Z. splendens should be considered a synonym of Z. katzeriana.

Resumen

En este artículo se caracteriza la variación morfológica de las especies de un complejo de Zamia, que presentan folíolos anchos y coriáceos con distribución en el sureste de México, la mayoría de reciente descripción. El complejo es denominado Z. katzeriana, por una colección histórica de este nombre, y consiste de Z. cremnophila, Z. lacandona, Z. splendens y Z. purpurea. Zamia splendens fue sinonimizada separadamente bajo dos colecciones históricas Z. katzeriana y Z. verschaffeltii, de las cuales se desconoce con exactitud su lugar de procedencia, excepto que fueron colectadas en México por botánicos alemanes del siglo XVIII. La información, en especial sobre el holotipo incompleto de Z. verschaffeltii es muy ambigua y la posible localidad tipo mencionada por Schuster, Socorro, es imprecisa, lo cual ha generado confusiones taxonómicas. La caracterización de la variación morfométrica incluyó a todas las poblaciones (11) e individuos (115) conocidas actualmente para el complejo en todo su rango de distribución en México. El análisis discriminante incluyendo a las colecciones históricas, determina que Z. verschaffeltii no está relacionado morfométricamente con ninguna especie del complejo y Z. katzeriana está estrechamente correlacionada con Z. splendens.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by two grants (RLB-03-M2; 03-M2) from the Red Latinoamericana de Botánica (RLB) and partially by CONACyT-SEMARNAT grant No. 2002-CO1-0183 awarded to the second author. The principal author thanks the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for a stipend for a six months residence at The New York Botanical Garden during 2002 and Lisa Campbell and Ciaran Moloney for editorial suggestions for improving the manuscript. The authors express thanks to Jorge González-Astorga, Mario Miguel Ojeda, Miguel A. Pérez-Farrera, Carlos Iglesias-Delfin, Jesús Hernández, and Gonzalo Castillo-Campos for their help on statistical design and comments on the manuscript and Nayeli Martínez for all the logistic help for field work. We thank the Curators and staff of the herbaria mentioned for making their collections available for study.

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Correspondence to Andrew P. Vovides.

Appendix 1. Specimens examined

Appendix 1. Specimens examined

Zamia cremnophila Vovides, Schutzman & Dehgan, MEXICO. T abasco: Magaña & Zamudio 343 (MEXU, MO); Teapa, Pérez-Farrera 900 (HEM, MEXU).

Zamia lacandona Schutzman & Vovides, MEXICO. C hiapas: Palenque, Schutzman 510, 511(XAL), 512 (XAL), 513 (XAL), 514 (XAL), 515 (XAL), 516 (XAL), 517 (XAL), 518 (XAL), 519 (XAL), 520 (XAL), Nicolalde & Martínez 1418 (XAL), Pérez-Farrera 890 (HEM, MEXU), Walters s.n. (FTG accession 14-2, XAL); San Jerónimo Tulija, Chavelas et al. ES = 315 (ENCB, MEXU), Schutzman 521 (XAL), 522 (XAL), 524 (XAL), 523 (XAL), 525 (XAL).

Zamia paucijuga Wieland, MEXICO. G uerrero: Jose Azueta, Vovides et al. 1426 (XAL); Petatlan, Vovides et al. 1427 (XAL), 1428 (XAL), 1429 (XAL), 1430 (XAL), 1431 (XAL), 1432 (XAL), 1433 (XAL), 1434 (XAL); Unión de Isidro Montes De Oca, Vovides et al. 1416 (XAL), 1417 (XAL), 1418 (XAL), 1420 (XAL), 1421 (XAL); Zihuatanejo, Castillo et al. 6633 (XAL). J alisco: El Arenal, Castillo et al. 9822 (XAL); Cabo Corrientes, Castillo et al. 10147 (XAL), 11733 (XAL), 10280 (XAL), 10466 (XAL); Cuautitlán, Pérez de la Rosa 1039 (IBUG, XAL), 1040 (IBUG, XAL), 1518 (IBUG, XAL); Nayarit, Vovides et al. 1487, 1488 (XAL), 1489 (XAL), 1490 (XAL), 1491 (XAL), 1493 (XAL); San Sebastián, Nicolalde et al. 1422 (XAL), 1423 (XAL), 1424 (XAL), 1425 (XAL), 1426 (XAL), 1427 (XAL), 1429 (XAL), Pérez de la Rosa 1084 (IBUG, XAL), 1097 (IBUG, XAL), 1098 (IBUG, XAL). O axaca: Loxicha, Nicolalde et al. 1422 (XAL), 1423 (XAL), 1424 (XAL), 1425 (XAL), 1426 (XAL), 1427 (XAL), 1429 (XAL); Pochutla, Schutzman 544 (XAL), 543 (XAL), 545 (XAL), 546 (XAL), 547 (XAL), 548 (XAL), 550 (XAL), 551 (XAL), 552 (XAL), 553 (XAL), 554 (XAL), 555 (XAL), 556 (XAL), 557 (XAL), 558 (XAL), 560 (XAL), 561 (XAL), 562 (XAL), 563 (XAL), 565 (XAL); Puerto Escondido, Walters s.n. (FTG accession 7-14, XAL).

Zamia purpurea Vovides, J. D. Rees & Vázquez-Torres, MEXICO. O axaca: Santa María Chimalapa, Sánchez et al. 40 (B, MEXU); Santa María Lachixio, Cerón et al. 266 (XAL); San Juan Guichicovi, Walters s.n. (FTG accession 10-1, XAL). V eracruz: Vovides 743 (XAL), Rees et al. 1654 (IEB); Hidalgotitlán, Calzada 8374 (XAL-MEXU); Carranza, Vázquez et al. V-2532 (CHAPA, XAL).

Zamia variegata Warsz MEXICO. C hiapas: Ocosingo, Castillo et al. 3884 (XAL), 3885 (XAL); Margaritas, Nicolalde et al. 1443 (XAL), 1444 (XAL), 1445 (XAL), 1447 (XAL), 1448 (XAL), 1449 (XAL), 1451 (XAL) 1452 (XAL).

Zamia verschaffeltii Miq., MEXICO. Miquel s.n. (U)

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Nicolalde-Morejón, F., Vovides, A.P., Stevenson, D.W. et al. The identity of Zamia katzeriana and Z. verschaffeltii (Zamiaceae). Brittonia 60, 38–48 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12228-008-9000-9

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