Zamia
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Authority
Nicolalde-Morejón, Fernando, et al. 2009. Taxonomic revision of
in Mega-Mexico. Brittonia. 61 (4): 301-335. -
Family
Zamiaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Genus Description - Stems hypogeous and epigeous, erect to decumbent, sometimes dichotomously branched in mature plants. Cataphylls chartaceous to membranaceous, stipulate, persistent or deciduous, base triangular, apex long acuminate to aristate, tomentose, generally reddish-brown to yellowish. Ptyxis erect to inflexed. Leaves stipulate, ascending to descending to spreading, reddish-brown or green when emerging; petiole sometimes blackish in young leaves, terete or subterete, without prickles or heavily to lightly armed with straight or bifurcate prickles; rachis subterete generally with few prickles along the proximal third or without prickles, with up to 60 pairs of leaflets. Leaflets articulate, sessile, papyraceous to coriaceous, linear, linear-lanceolate, lanceolate, ovate, obovate obpyriform to elliptic, opposite to subopposite, falcate or non-falcate, imbricate to non-imbricate, generally acute at apex and symmetric, attenuate at base, margins entire to dentate along upper third, subrevolute, articulations green, yellowish or dark brown in young leaflets. Pollen strobili usually 1-2 (-4), with sterile tip, erect, cylindrical to conical, light brown to purple, tomenrulose, apex acute to apiculate, generally with densely tomentose peduncles; pollen sporangio- phores cuneiform, distal face truncate hexagonal, 0.3-0.55 cm long, fertile abaxial surface 2 lobed with 2-14 bisporangiate synangia per lobe, sporangia dehiscent by longitudinal slit. Ovulate strobili usually solitary, erect to decumbent, cylindrical to ellipsoid, purple to yellowish, generally tomenrulose, apex acute to apiculate; peduncle densely tomentose; ovulate sporangio- phores cuneiform-peltate to scutiform, distal end truncate-hexagonal when not scutiform. Seeds ovoid, sarcotesta white to pink when immature, red at maturity, sclerotesta smooth but sometimes with several furrows running longitudinally from micropylar end.