Monograph of Ceratozamia (Zamiaceae, Cycadales): an endangered genus

By

Martínez-Domínguez, Lilí
Nicolalde-Morejón, Fernando
Vergara-Silva, Francisco
Stevenson, Dennis Wm

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2022-9-21

Original Publication

PhytoKeys

Volume

208

Pages

1--102

Subjects

Circumscription , cryptic species , cycads , lectotypification , Mesoamerica , Mexico

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers [2010]-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.208.80382

 

Abstract

Ceratozamia (Zamiaceae, Cycadales), is a member one of the most endangered seed plant groups. Species of Ceratozamia grow from near sea level up to 2,100 meters in Mexico and Mesoamerica. We present a modern taxonomic treatment of Ceratozamia, based on fieldwork combined with detailed study of herbarium specimens in and from Mexico and Central America. This new revision is based on incorporation of morphological, molecular and biogeographic data that have been previously published in circumscriptions of species complexes by our group. Detailed morphological descriptions of the 36 species of Ceratozamia are provided and relevant characters for the genus are discussed and described. A majority are endemic to Mexico and are concentrated at high elevations in mountainous areas. Synonymies, lectotypifications, etymologies, taxonomic notes, distribution maps, illustrations and detailed species-level comparisons are included, as well as a dichotomous key for identification of all species. Data on distributional ranges and habitats of all species are summarized. Ceratozamia osbornei D.W.Stev., Mart.-Domínguez & Nic.-Mor., sp. nov. is described from evergreen tropical forests of Belize and we highlight new populations and distributional ranges for C. subroseophylla Mart.-Domínguez & Nic.-Mor. and C. vovidesii Pérez-Farr. & Iglesias in the Mesoamerican region.