Taxonomic review of Ceratozamia (Zamiaceae) in the Sierra Madre Oriental, Mexico

Abstract

The genus Ceratozamia is revised for the Sierra Madre Oriental in Mexico. This region is one of the biogeographic areas with the greatest diversity of species in this genus. These species are highly variable morphologically and this variability has led to a complex taxonomic history with many synonyms, particularly with reference to C. mexicana. We present a comprehensive taxonomic revision with history of nomenclature and the morphology, relationships, distribution and use of these species. We also introduce a key for their identification, descriptions, full synonymy, nomenclatural notes, etymologies and neotypes as well as taxonomic comments describing relevant taxonomic changes. We recognise fourteen species in this biogeographic province: C. brevifrons, C. chamberlainii, C. decumbens, C. delucana, C. fuscoviridis, C. hildae, C. kuesteriana, C. latifolia, C. mexicana, C. morettii, C. sabatoi, C. tenuis, C. totonacorum and C. zaragozae. This study provides a foundation for future taxonomic work in Neotropical species of Ceratozamia.

A novelty in Ceratozamia (Zamiaceae, Cycadales) from the Sierra Madre del Sur, Mexico: biogeographic and morphological patterns, DNA barcoding and phenology

“…In particular, there are some populations in Oaxaca and Chiapas that still await closer inspection. In the present work, 31 species have been recognized for the genus (Stevenson et al 1986;Nicolalde-Morejón et al 2014;Vovides et al 2016;Pérez-Farrera et al 2017;Martínez-Domínguez et al 2017, 2018a, with C. becerrae and C. microstrobila treated as synonyms of C. zoquorum and C. latifolia, respectively (Stevenson et al 1986;Martínez-Domínguez et al 2017, 2018a.…”

“…Taxonomic and molecular systematic studies have contributed to clarify species identification and to provide taxonomic revisions with keys at the regional level (e.g. Pérez-Farrera et al 2009;Martínez-Domínguez et al 2016, 2017, 2018a. Gener-ally, quantitative morphological characters provide limited information among closely related species (Martínez-Domínguez et al 2017).…”

The need for multidisciplinary conservation: a case study of Ceratozamia (Zamiaceae, Cycadales) in eastern Mexico

“…We obtained occurrence records for Ceratozamia by reviewing the 323 specimens available in the following herbaria: CHAPA, CIB, ENCB, FCME, FTG, GH, HEM, IEB, K, LE, LSU, MB, MICH, MEXU, MO, NY, P, SERO, SLPM, U, UAT, US, XAL, and XALU (acronyms according to Index Herbariorum; Thiers, 2019). This review was based on the taxonomic concepts of species proposed by Nicolalde-Morejón et al (2014) and Martínez-Domínguez et al (2018). We also included information collected in the field during 2014–2017.…”

“…To evaluate ex situ conservation efforts, we consulted with the curators or directors of the major botanical gardens in Mexico, either by visiting the collections or via e-mail. To assesses the contribution of botanical gardens to Ceratozamia conservation, we confirmed the species identities of live specimens kept in botanical garden collections, using the taxonomic key by Martínez-Domínguez et al (2018). In addition, we identified two nurseries for Ceratozamia in the Sierra Madre Oriental (Vovides et al, 2010), in the municipality of Coacoatzintla (Veracruz State): Tachinola and Dos Cerros.…”

From the Machete to the Microscope: Dennis Stevenson, Plant Morphologist

“…He has been active in the international cycad conference series since their inception in 1987 and co-edited the proceedings volumes of subsequent cycad conferences (Stevenson and Norstog 1993;Vovides et al 2007;Stevenson et al 2012;Li et al 2019). His formal classification of the extant cycads (Stevenson 1992) was a pivotal publication that laid the foundation for subsequent studies investigating systematics and trait diversification across the order, and through his broad knowledgefrom anatomy, morphology and natural history to taxonomy, systematics, and trait evolutionhe continues to influence cycad researchers around the globe (e.g., Salas-Leiva et al 2013;Vovides et al 2016;Clugston et al 2016;Martínez-Domínguez et al 2018). He even occasionally dips a toe into the paleobotanical realm (e.g., Dower et al 2004).…”