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Beaucarnea olsonii (Ruscaceae), a new species of ponytail palm from

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 Phytotaxa 286 (1): 013–022 ISSN 1179-3155 (print edition)
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Article PHYTOTAXA
Copyright © 2016 Magnolia Press ISSN 1179-3163 (online edition)

http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.286.1.2

Beaucarnea olsonii (Ruscaceae), a new species of ponytail palm from southwestern

Puebla, Mexico
VANESSA ROJAS-PIÑA1, 3 & LEONARDO O. ALVARADO-CÁRDENAS2
1
Departamento de Botánica, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tercer Circuito s/n, Ciudad Universita-
ria, Coyoacán, México, D.F. C.P. 04510, México.
2
Departamento de Biología Comparada, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 70-282,
04510, Mexico, D.F. Mexico.
3
Correspondence author: bio.vane@gmail.com

Abstract

Beaucarnea olsonii is described and illustrated from tropical deciduous forests of SW Puebla, Mexico. The new species can
be distinguished from other Beaucarnea species by its massively swollen base that abruptly tapers into slender branches, by
its conspicuously long stigma, and by its pedicel articulation that occurs at 2/3 of the length of the pedicel below the flower.
With this new addition, the total number of endemic species of Beaucarnea for Mexico increases to 10, making this country
the greatest center of diversification and endemism for the genus. We also provide a distribution map and a conservation
status recommendation for the new species, as well as a key to the Beaucarnea species of southern central Mexico.

Key words: Beaucarnea, Ruscaceae, Asparagaceae, new species, Mexico

Resumen

Se describe e ilustra una nueva especie de Beaucarnea de bosques tropicales caducifolios del suroeste de Puebla, México.
La nueva especie se distingue de otras especies de Beaucarnea por poseer una base muy ensanchada que de manera abrupta
adelgaza y muy pronto ramifica. La nueva especie también se distingue de otras especies por poseer un estigma consid-
erablemente grande y por la articulación del pedicelo, la cual ocurre a 2/3 de su longitud por debajo de la flor. Con esta
adición, el número total de especies de Beaucarnea endémicas de México incrementa a 10, haciendo a este país el mayor
centro de diversificación y de endemismos para este género. En este trabajo también ofrecemos un mapa de distribución y
recomendaciones de conservación para la nueva especie, así como una clave para las especies de Beaucarnea del centro-sur
de México.

Introduction

Beaucarnea Lemaire (1861: misc. 57) is a North American-Central American genus in Asparagaceae Juss. s.l. (APG
IV, 2016) or, followed here, Ruscaceae M. Roem. s.l. (Rudall et al. 2000). It is made up of 12 species, now including
the previously separate genus Calibanus Rose (1906: 90) (Rojas et al. 2014) (Fig. 1). Dasylirion Zuccarini (1838: 258)
is the most closely related genus to Beaucarnea, and Nolina Michaux (1803: 207) is the sister taxon of the Beaucarnea-
Dasylirion clade (Bogler & Simpson 1995, Rojas et al. 2014) (Fig. 1). Nine of the 12 species of Beaucarnea are
endemic to Mexico, 2 other species are native to Mexico and Central America, and one is endemic to Central America.
In Mexico they grow in deciduous forests and xerophytic scrubs from southern Tamaulipas to the Yucatan Peninsula.
With regard to states, they are found in San Luis Potosí, Veracruz, Guanajuato, Querétaro, Puebla, Oaxaca, Guerrero,
Chiapas, Yucatán, Campeche, and Quintana Roo. In Central America they are found in Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador,
and Honduras (Rose 1906, Trelease 1911, Hernández 1992, 1993 a & b, 2001, Lott & García-Mendoza 1994, Hernández
& Zamudio 2003, Hernández et al. 2012, Rivera-Lugo & Solano 2012, Rojas et al. 2014)
Beaucarnea species are characterized by having woody trunks with greatly swollen bases and leaves in terminal
rosettes. Most species are arborescent, reaching 10(–18) m tall, while others are short-caulescent or caespitose, reaching

Accepted by Marie-Stéphanie Samain: 29 Oct. 2016; published: 25 Nov. 2016 13

no more than 1 m tall. They are hermaphroditic, dioecious, or polygamodioecious. Inflorescences are thyrses with a
reduced rhipidium as the terminal unit. Flowers are whitish, some slightly tinged with purple or red. They are minute,
actinomorphic, hypogynous, and have 6 perianth segments that are fused basally. Pedicel articulation varies depending
on the species. The ovary has 3 carpels, 1 locule, and basally fused septal walls. The pistillode is 3-locular. The fruits
are capsules, have delayed dehiscence, and they are usually 3-winged, though some species lack wings.

FIGURE 1. ML Phylogram of Beaucarnea modified from Rojas et al. (2014) based on ITS, trnLF, and ycf1 molecular markers. The gray
square highlights B. sp2, which corresponds to the new species described here, B. olsonii. These molecular results are congruent with the
status of B. olsonii as a distinct species. Above branches ML bootstrap values ≥ 60%; below branches posterior probability values ≥ 0.90%
of 20 million generations.

Most species of Beaucarnea are cultivated and commercialized worldwide as ornamentals. They are commonly
known as ponytail palms or elephant foot palms, because of their ensiform and rosulate, mostly terminal leaves, and
because of their massively swollen bases. They are commonly grown in houses and greenhouses, used in landscaping
and public areas, as well as in offices and other spaces. Unfortunately, almost all Beaucarnea species are threatened
or in danger of extinction, because of the illegal commerce and urbanization (Hernández 1993b, Cardel et al. 1997,
SEMARNAT 2010). Some species are now conserved in situ (Hernández et al. 2012). However, there remains much
work to do to preserve all the species and commercialize them with minimal impact on wild populations.
The examination of samples collected by Dr. Mark E. Olson in SW Puebla showed the existence of a possible new
species. Previous phylogenetic analyses, based on molecular data (Rojas et al. 2014), confirmed the distinctness of this
new species (B. sp2, Fig. 1). Subsequent repeated field trips to the type locality, and careful morphological analysis of
the specimens, confirm its distinctness and we describe it here.

14 • Phytotaxa 286 (1) © 2016 Magnolia Press ROJAS-PIÑA & ALVARADO-CÁRDENAS

Taxonomic treatment

Beaucarnea olsonii V. Rojas & L.O. Alvarado, sp. nov., Figs. 2–5

Type:—MEXICO. Puebla. Carr. Izúcar-Acatlán, 1297 m, 28 September 2006, M. Olson, A. Cervantes & K. Olsen 1044 (Holotype MEXU!,
Isotypes MEXU!, MO!).
Beaucarnea olsonii is similar to B. hiriartiae L. Hernández (1992: 25) in its height, gray bark, and general appearance, but differs from
B. hiriartiae in its tessellated bark, which is smooth or nearly smooth in B. hiriartiae. The new species also differs from B. hiriartiae
in its straight leaves, which are recurved in B. hiriartiae, and in its short style, which is elongate in B. hiriartiae. The new species is
easily distinguished from other Beaucarnea species by its pedicel articulation that occurs at 2/3 of the length of the pedicel below
the flower, and by its considerably larger stigma. Finally, the new species is easily distinguished by its swollen base that abruptly
tapers into a slender stem.

Description:—Plants arborescent, hermaphroditic, dioecious, 3–5 m tall, with massively swollen bases, 2.4–4.0 m in
diameter, abruptly tapering into few slender branches (Figs. 3A and 5A). Bark gray and squamose forming irregular
grooves along the length of the stem (Figs. 3B and 5C). Branches 1.0–3.0 m long, branching pseudodichotomous (Figs.
3A and 5A). Leaves perennial, 60–85 cm long, 0.9–1.7 mm wide at the middle, ensiform, rosulate, terminal, green to
bluish glaucous green, straight and terminally erect (Fig. 2, 3C, 5A), canaliculate, with minute papillae over the stomatal
grooves, margin slightly irregular, without denticles or with denticles not persistent (Fig. 3D), base triangular to widely
triangular (Figs. 2, 3C). Inflorescence a thyrse, branching orders primary, secondary, and tertiary, the apical branches
only with primary and secondary orders, decreasing in size acropetally (Fig. 2, 3E–F), last unit of the inflorescence a
reduced rhipidium (Fig. 3G). Inflorescence bracts narrowly triangular to triangular, apex acuminate to long caudate,
decreasing in size acropetally (Figs. 2 and 3F). Bracts subtending rhipidia ovate to widely ovate, papyraceous, margin
premorse, 2.0–4.0 mm long (Fig. 3G). Bracteoles per flower 1, enclosing the subtending flowers, obovate to widely
obovate, apex obstuse, papyraceous, margin crenate. Pistillate flowers (inmature) (Figs. 3H, 4A), 3 per node; pedicels
4.0–5.0 mm long, articulated at 2/3 of the length of the pedicel below the flower (Fig. 4A); perianth segments 6,
basally fused, imbricate, ovate, whitish, papyraceous, midvein evident, 1.5–1.7 m long, 1.3–2.0 mm width (Fig. 3H);
ovary superior, pyriform, 3-lobed, 3-carpellar (Figs. 3 H–I and 4C), unilocular, septa fused basally, ovules 3–6, 1–2
per carpel, placentation basally axillar; style short or absent (Figs. 3I and 4C); stigma sessile, conic and prominent
(0.4–0.5 mm long), 3-lobed, with minute single-celled papillae, each lobule pyriform (Figs. 3I and 4C); staminodes 6,
epipetalous (Fig. 3H). Staminate flowers not seen. Capsules (immature) obovate, 3-winged, 7–9 mm long; style 1.5
mm long; apical notch 1.0–1.5 mm long (Figs. 3 J–L and 4E). Seeds 1 per fruit, immature, brown, testa rugose.
Habitat:—In the one known locality, Beaucarnea olsonii grows in dense tropical deciduous forest on steep slopes,
associated with Acacia Miller (1754a: 15), Agave Linnaeus (1753: 323), Bursera Jacquin ex Linnaeus (1762: 471),
Cephalocereus Pfeiffer (1838: 142), Cnidoscolus Pohol (1827: 56), Comocladia Browne (1756: 124), Croton Linneaus
(1753: 1004), Cyrtocarpa Kunth (1824: 19), Dioon Lindley (1843: misc. 59), Ferocactus Britton & Rose (1922:
123), Gonolobus Michaux (1803: 119), Hechtia Klotzsch (1835: 401), Ipomoea Linnaeus (1753: 159), Lonchocarpus
Kunth (1824: 300), Lysiloma Bentham (1844: 82), Manihot Miller (1754b: s/n), Plumeria Linnaeus (1753: 209), and
Pouzolzia Gaudichaud (1826: 503), among others, at elevations above 1200 m, in the southwest of Puebla (Fig. 6).
This new taxon increases the number of species of Beaucarnea to 13 species, 4 of which occur in Puebla. With the
addition of this new species, Mexico now has 10 endemic Beaucarnea species.
Distribution:—Beaucarnea olsonii is known only from the type collection in the municipality of Izúcar de
Matamoros, southwestern Puebla, Mexico (Fig. 6).
Etymology:—The species epithet honors our colleague and friend Dr. Mark E. Olson, researcher at the Instituto
de Biología, UNAM, who collected this species during a field trip. He has devoted his life to the investigation of the
evolution of plant morphological diversity, especially to life forms or habits in the dry tropics.
Phenology:—Flowering and fruiting only known from September.
Conservation status:—Beaucarnea olsonii is a very restricted species, known only from the type locality in
SW Puebla, and with an extent of occurrence estimated to be less than 100 km2. We found few mature individuals (≈
25) and even fewer young plants (1 seedling). Local people confirm that the plant is very rare. The type locality is
surrounded by human settlements and agricultural fields, and we observed evidence of grazing and small fires set by
people. There are relatively few patches of intact forest nearby suitable for the species. Given its probable extreme
rarity, and that Beaucarnea species in general are ruthlessly collected for the horticultural trade (Cardel et al. 1997), we
suggest this species should be added to the category of critically endangered (CR A2cd+3cd; B1a; C2a(i)), according
to the IUCN (2012).

Beaucarnea olsonii a new species from Mexico Phytotaxa 286 (1) © 2016 Magnolia Press • 15
FIGURE 2. Holotype of Beaucarnea olsonii.

16 • Phytotaxa 286 (1) © 2016 Magnolia Press ROJAS-PIÑA & ALVARADO-CÁRDENAS

FIGURE 3. Illustration of Beaucarnea olsonii. A. Representative habit of the species. B. Detail of the outer bark (phellem). C. Representative
leaf of the species. D. Detail of the leaf margin. E. Representative inflorescence of the species. F. Detail of the inflorescence showing the
branching orders. G. Detail of the last order of the inflorescence. H. Female flower. I. Gynoecium. J. Representative infructescence of the
species. K. Detail of the last unit of the infrutescence. L. Representative fruit of the species.

Beaucarnea olsonii a new species from Mexico Phytotaxa 286 (1) © 2016 Magnolia Press • 17
FIGURE 4. Reproductive characters of Beaucarnea olsonii and B. hiriartiae representing their main differences. A. Immature flower
of B. olsonii showing the pedicel articulation at 2/3 of the distance below from the flower. B. Mature flower of B. hiriartiae showing the
pedicel articulation at 1/2 of the distance below the flower. C. Immature gynoecium of B. olsonii showing its conic and prominent stigma,
and its reduced style. D. Mature gynoecium of B. hiriartiae, showing its small stigma and long style. Fruit of B. olsonii showing the apical
notch of ≥ 1 mm. E. Fruit of B. hiriartiae showing the apical notch of < 1 mm.

Table 1. Main morphological differences between Beaucarnea olsonii and B. hiriartiae.

  Beaucarnea olsonii Beaucarnea hiriartiae
bark tesselated smooth or nearly smooth
branching near the base (< 1m) well above the base (≥ 1 m)
leaves straight recurved
style short (> 0.5 mm) or absent elongate (0.9–0.7 mm)
stigma broadly conic and prominent (3.5–0.5 mm long) capitate and short (0.3–0.4 mm long)
pedicel articulation 2/3 the distance from the flower to the base of the 1/2 the distance from the flower to the base of the
pedicel pedicel
fruit apical notch evident not evident

18 • Phytotaxa 286 (1) © 2016 Magnolia Press ROJAS-PIÑA & ALVARADO-CÁRDENAS

FIGURE 5. Images of Beaucarnea olsonii and B. hiriartiae in the wild. A. B. olsonii, B. B. hiriartiae C. Bark (phellem) of B. olsonii. D.
Bark (phellem) of B. hiriartiae.

Taxonomic remarks:—Beaucarnea olsonii is morphologically most similar to B. hiriartiae in its general size
and morphology (Fig. 5 A–B). The two are readily distinguished because in the new species the base is considerably
wider than in B. hiriartiae, and tapers abruptly into few, slender branches, whereas in B. hiriartiae the base is taller and
conical and usually branches only above a relatively slender trunk (Fig. 5 A–B). In addition, in B. olsonii the bark is
thicker and with markedly deeper furrows than in B. hiriartiae (Fig. 5 C–D). The leaves in B. olsonii are straight and
terminally erect, whereas in B. hiriartiae they are slightly more drooping (Fig. 5 A–B). The general morphology of the
ovary in B. olsonii is similar to the rest of Beaucarnea species, with 3 carpels, one locule, 3 wings, and septal walls
fused basally. However, B. olsonii differs from the rest of Beaucarnea species in its prominent 3-lobed cubic stigma
(Fig. 4C). Also, B. olsonii has a long pedicel, similar to that of B. hiriartiae, but the articulation in B. olsonii occurs
at 2/3 of the length of the pedicel below the flower, whereas in B. hiriartiae it occurs around the middle (Fig. 4 A–B).
Moreover, the apical notch of the fruit in B. olsonii is evident, whereas in B. hiriartiae, the wings cover the apical notch
(Fig. 4 E–F) Table 1.
Additional specimens examined (paratypes):—MEXICO. Puebla. Mun. Izúcar de Matamoros, entre la
desviación a La Noria y la desviación a Ahuehuetitla, 1305 m, 22 April 2015, V. Rojas, M. E. Olson, F. Vergara y D.
Burton 57–61 (MEXU).

Beaucarnea olsonii a new species from Mexico Phytotaxa 286 (1) © 2016 Magnolia Press • 19
FIGURE 6. Distribution map of Beaucarnea olsonii.

Taxonomic key to Beaucarnea species from SW Mexico (Puebla, Guerrero, and Oaxaca).
1. Old leaves covering the branches........................................................................................................................................................2
Old leaves not covering the branches..................................................................................................................................................3
2. Inflorescence with congested rhipidia; rhipidium bracts 3.0–4.0 mm long; bracteole 3.0–5.5 mm long; Puebla and Oaxaca............
.................................................................................................................................................................. B. purpusii Rose (1906: 89)
Inflorescence with non-congested rhipidia; riphidium bracts 2.0–3.0 mm long; bracteole 2.0–2.5 mm long; Puebla and Oaxaca.....
...................................................................................................................................................... B. stricta Lemaire (1861: misc. 61)
3. Leaves usually 1 cm or less wide, linear, erect, glaucous green, rigid; stem robust; Puebla and Oaxaca............................................
.................................................................................................................................................... B. gracilis Lemaire (1861: misc. 61)
Leaves usually >1 cm wide, ensiform, erect or slightly drooping, green, not rigid; stem rather slender...........................................4
4. Style elongate (0.7–0.9 mm long); stigma short (0.2–0.4 mm long); pedicel articulation around the middle of the pedicel; fruit api-
cal notch not evident; Guerrero.........................................................................................................................................B. hiriartiae
Style short (> 0.5 mm); stigma prominent (4.0–5.0 mm long); pedicel articulation at 2/3 of the length of the pedicel below the
flower; fruit apical notch evident; Puebla............................................................................................................................. B. olsonii

Acknowledgements

We thank CONACyT for its grant support (grants 239791 and 132404), and the Programa de Posgrado en Ciencias
Biológicas, UNAM. We thank MEXU and the curators of the herbaria that provided loans, in particular María del
Rosario García Peña. We thank Albino Luna Sánchez for his detailed illustration of the new species and Susana
Guzmán Gómez for the images obtained form the confocal microscope. Special thanks to Mark Olson, Angélica
Cervantes, Ken Olsen, Francisco Vergara, and Darren Burton for their help collecting field material.

20 • Phytotaxa 286 (1) © 2016 Magnolia Press ROJAS-PIÑA & ALVARADO-CÁRDENAS

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