THE IDENTITY OF MICROCYCAS CALOCOMA 
Oris W. CALDWELL AND C. F. BAKER 
(WITH THREE FIGURES) 
The important discoveries made in the Cycadales within the 
past decade led the first author to desire to secure material for a 
morphological study of Microcycas. During March and April of 
1g05 an abundance of staminate and carpellate cones as well as vegeta- 
tive material of a small cycad said to be Microcycas calocoma were 
collected in Cuba. It was questioned immediately whether this 
material did not belong to Zamia. A careful comparison with 
herbarium specimens and an examination of literature soon led to 
the conclusion that it was Zamia pumila. Later investigation fully 
confirmed this conclusion and showed that it has been wrongly called 
Microcycas calocoma. Specimens of what is probably Zamia pumila 
have been issued several times from the New York Botanical Garden 
as Microcycas calocoma, the specimens coming from Madruga (Britton 
and Shafer 638 and 803) and from Matanzas. 
In January and February 1907 a second attempt was made to 
locate and collect material of Microcycas calocoma, this excursion 
resulting more successfully than the first. In the higher regions of 
the Sierras of western Cuba a number of groups of the plant were 
found, also both staminate and carpellate cones. The confusion 
that exists in reference to the genus and the incompleteness of pub- 
lished accounts make desirable a somewhat full accoynt of its bibliog- 
raphy and characters. 
The earliest description discovered is that of MIQueL in VAN 
Hourtre’s Fl. Serres et Jard. (72141. 1851-52), under the title “Sur 
une espéce nouvelle de Zamia des Indes occidentales, introduite dans 
l’establissement Van Houtte,& Gand.” Although he gave this plant 
the name Zamia calocoma, in this same connection he suggested 
that there be made for it a new section of the genus, to be called 
Microcycas. In a note preliminary to the description M1QueEL says 
that this plant constitutes quite a distinct species, near Z. tenuis 
Botanical Gazette, vol. 43] [33° 
