Chamaedorea lehmannii Burret, Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin-Dahlem 11: 857 (1933)

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Distribution

GUATEMALA. Alta Verapaz. Baja Verapaz. EI Progreso. Zacapa. (Hodel, D. 1992. Chamaedorea Palms, The Species and Their Cultivation. The International Palm Society.)A

Discussion

  • The description is from Burret (l933a) and supplemented from Standley and Steyermark (1958). According to the latter authors, C.lehmannii bears a superficial resemblance to pinnate-leaved forms of C. adscendens. However, C. lehmannii appears closest to C. pittieri and occurs in a similar habitat as the latter species. C. pittieri differs in the strongly basally contracted, thicker, stiffer, leathery, velvety green pinnae with a bluish or grayish cast, leaf sheaths not arranged in a triangular manner, drooping staminate rachillae, more or less densely placed staminate flowers, and large, pistillate petals.
    Lehmann's holotype was apparently destroyed and no isotypes have been found. Since collections of this species are in several herbaria, it seems appropriate to retypifY this taxon here. Apparently not cultivated, C. lehmannii has its closely imbricate leaf sheaths arranged in a triangular manner, much like those ofthe famous triangle palm Neodypsis decaryi. (Hodel, D. 1992. Chamaedorea Palms, The Species and Their Cultivation. The International Palm Society.)A

Biology And Ecology

  • Moist or wet forest and cloud forest on the Atlantic slope; 1,400-2,600 m elevation. (Hodel, D. 1992. Chamaedorea Palms, The Species and Their Cultivation. The International Palm Society.)A

Etymology

  • Honors F. C. Lehmann, collector of the type. (Hodel, D. 1992. Chamaedorea Palms, The Species and Their Cultivation. The International Palm Society.)A

Common Name

  • Chiquilote, guite - Guatemalao (Hodel, D. 1992. Chamaedorea Palms, The Species and Their Cultivation. The International Palm Society.)A

    Description

    • Habit: solitary, erect, to 2 m tall, often flowering when stemless or nearly so. Stem: 1-2 cm diam., green, densely ringed, internodes to 5 cm long, often covered with persistent leaf sheaths. Leaves: 5-7, erect-spreading, pinnate; sheath 12 cm long, obliquely open for 1/2 its length, attenuate apically, thick, strongly striate-nerved, closely imbricate and arranged in 3 planes in a triangular manner; petiole 15-20 cm long, moderately stout, flat or grooved near base and green above, rounded and pale below; rachis to 45 cm long, angled and green above, rounded and pale below; pinnae 8 on each side of rachis, narrowly lanceolate, 20 x 2 cm or more, apical pair wider, to 3.5 cm wide, basal ones shorter and not as narrow, regularly disposed, straight, inconspicuously ifat all sigmoid, equally attenuate apically and basally, a prominently keeled midrib and 1-2 prominent slender primary nerves on each side of this, secondaries inconspicuous. Inflorescences: interfoliar, ascending, exceeding leaves, long-pedunculate; peduncles 30-40 cm long or more, straight, green in flower where exposed, orange in fruit where exposed; bracts 5-7, prophyll 2 cm long, others from 4-17 cm, tubular, slender, 5 mm diam.; rachises to 3 cm long, green in flower, orange in fruit. Staminate with 6 rachillae to 18 cm long, erect, green in flower. Pistillate with 2-5 rachillae or rarely spicate, these 8-11 cm long, green in flower, rather stout, orange-red in fruit. Flowers: Staminate in well separated loose spirals, 3.5 mm high, green, superficial; calyx short, ringlike, lobed, sepals connate in basal 3/4, rounded apically; petals valvate, free apically, oblong or obovate-oblong, moderately thick; stamens with filaments ± robust, anthers short-oblong, not divided apically and as long as filaments; pistillode columnar. Pistillate in remote spirals, subglobose, dull green, superficial; calyx short, deeply lobed, sepals connate and/or imbricate in basal 1/4-1/3, broadly rounded apically; petals elliptic, imbricate, obtuse; staminodes present; pistil ± ovoid, styles short or lacking, stigma lobes separated, recurved. Fruits: 7 mm diam. when dry, globose, black; seeds 6-7 mm diam., globose; abortive carpel adherent to corolla in fruit. (Hodel, D. 1992. Chamaedorea Palms, The Species and Their Cultivation. The International Palm Society.)A

    Materials Examined

    • GUATEMALA. Baja Verapaz: Hodel 1013, 1105 (AGUAT, BH). El Progreso: Steyermark 43804, 43805, 43587 (F). Zacapa: Steyermark 29890, 42554, 42868, 42885 (F). (Hodel, D. 1992. Chamaedorea Palms, The Species and Their Cultivation. The International Palm Society.)A

    Bibliography

      A. Hodel, D. 1992. Chamaedorea Palms, The Species and Their Cultivation. The International Palm Society.