Nolina palmeri var. palmeri Trelease Proceedings

Hernández-Sandoval, Luis & Rebman, Jon P., 2018, The Genus Nolina (Asparagaceae) of the Baja California Peninsula, and the Recognition of a New Species Combination, Systematic Botany (Basel, Switzerland) 43 (3), pp. 717-733 : 727-729

Nolina palmeri var. palmeri Trelease Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 50:420. 1911.

Plants cespitose forming clumps 3.5 m wide, acaulescent or with trunks 10 to 60(–100) cm high, 10 cm diam; bark forming polygonal pyramids 1 to 1.5 cm deep, 1 to 2(–2.5) cm wide. Rosettes 12. Leaves linear, 90 to 116 cm long, 4 to 8 mm wide at the middle, concave in cross section; leaf base triangular, (5–) 9 to 11 cm long, (2–) 4 to 7.5 cm wide below, (0.8–) 1 to 1.6 cm wide above; leaf margin with translucent to brown denticles with the epidermis up growing in the middle; leaf tips coiled, becoming dry with a yellow straw color. Inflorescence 0.96 to 3 m cm high, 8 cm wide; scape 10 to 0.35 to 1 m long, 1 to 4 cm diam at the base with linear bracts, 8 to 50 cm long; the first 15 to 30 cm of the inflorescence bear the loose and thin branches 5 to 8 cm long; the rest of the branches stiff, erect to curved, ascending, 24 to 17 cm long, decreasing in size to 6 to 4 cm at the apex branch, subtended by linear to long triangular bracts, shorter than the branches, from 16 cm long, decreasing to the apex to 2 cm, papery, the larger ones with tips coiled; branchlets 1–8 cm long, last part of branches beyond the last branching (4–) 6 to 11 cm long. Staminate flowers 1(–2) per node, campanulate, 2.5 to 3.5 mm long, 4 to 5 mm wide, on pedicels to 1 mm long, articulated at the very base, surrounded by 2 widely lanceolate bracteoles, the external one 2 to 3 mm long, the internal one 1.5 to 2 mm long, white, membranaceous, margins laciniate to denticulate; tepals oblong to oblong-lanceolate, 2.5–3 mm long, 1–1.5 mm wide, white, reflexed from the middle at maturity; filaments 1 to 1.2 mm long, anthers 1–1.1 mm long. Pistillate flowers 1 to 2(–3) per node, campanulate, 2–3.5 mm long, 3–4 mm wide, on pedicels up to 2 mm long, articulated above the middle, surrounded by lanceolate bracteoles, the external ones 2–4 mm long, the internal ones 1.5–2 mm long, white, membranaceous, margins long laciniate to denticulate; tepals lanceolate, 2.2–2.5 mm long, 1–1.5 mm wide, white with the base thick, greenish, midvein reddish to brown; ovary round, 3 mm diameter, 3- lobed; ovules basal, subtended by a small, round or shelf-like protruding structure, which is flattened by the fertilized ovule growth; stigmas sessile, 3 branched. Fruit depressed to orbicular, 4–5 mm long, 5–7 mm wide, on peduncles 3 to 4 mm long, articulated at or below the middle, green to brown; lobes with margins. Seeds 1 to 2 per fruit, rounded, 3.5–4 mm in diam, exposed at maturity, testa microreticulate, light to dark brown. Figure 9 .

Ecology and Distribution — Nolina palmeri grows in canyons, on east and west slopes, crevices, boulders, and dry hills, on volcanic and granitic rocks, and granitic alluvium soils, 1250 to 2830 m in elevation ( Fig. 10 ). It is part of the chaparral, and the pine, juniper, and oak forests, along with Adenostoma spp. , Arctostaphylos pungens Kunth ; Artemisia sp. , Brahea armata S. Watson , Ceanothus sp. , Celtis ehrenbergiana (Klotzsch) Liebm. , Condalia brandegeei I. M. Johnst. , Cylindropuntia cholla (F. A. C. Weber) F. M. Knuth , Cylindropuntia alcahes (F. A. C. Weber) F. M. Knuth , Dodonaea viscosa Jacq. , Juniperus californica Carrière , Pinus jeffreyi Grev. & Balf. , P. contorta Loudon subsp. murrayana (Grev. & Balf.) Critchf. , Populus tremuloides Michx. , Prosopis articulata S. Watson , Quercus spp. , Salvia pachyphylla Munz , and Yucca schidigera Ortgies. The flowers are visited by Hemiptera to lay eggs that hatch in June. The species flowers from April to June, and produces fruits from July to November.

Nolina palmeri is an endemic species to Baja California, and occurs sympatrically with N. bigelovii in the Sierra de San Pedro Mártir and Sierra de Juárez in the northern portion of the state, and is distributed to the Sierra de La Libertad at its southern limit.

Representative Specimens Examined — Mexico. — BAJA CALIFORNIA: Cantillas Canyon , s/d, C. R. Orcutt s/n ( US) ; Pinon ~ District, Oct.1882, C. R. Orcutt 713 ( GH, MO) ; Pi ~ non forest, 26 Jul. 1883, C. R. Orcutt s/n ( US) ; N Lower California , 3 Jul. 1885, C. R. Orcutt 530 ( MEXU -photo-, US) ; Para´ıso, 1890, Brandegee s/n ( UC) ; San Pedro Mártir, 16 May.1893 Brandegee s/n ( UC) ; San Mat´ıas pass, N end of San Pedro Mártir Mountains, 28 June 1905, Goldman E. A 1183 ( US) ; Lower California, 1 Jan 1907, Orcutt C. R. s/n ( US) ; Between Neji Rancho and town Alaska, 16 Sept. 1929, Wiggins I. R. 4167 ( CAS, GH, SD, US) ; La Encantada, Sierra San Pedro Mártir, 20 Sept. 1930, Wiggins I. R. 4962 ( CAS, GH, SD, US) ; Rancho Neji, Sept. 1930, H. Bravo 21–665 ( MEXU) ; Summit of rim just N of Picacho de La Encantada, Sierra San Pedro Mártir , 18 Oct. 1946, Wiggins I. R. 11278 ( CAS) ; Head of Cantillas Canyon 22 Apr. 4 1951, Harbison C. F. s/n ( SD) ; Head of Cantillas Canyon, 1 Sept. 1951, Harbison C. F. s/n ( CAS, SD) ; Head of the trail into Tajo ( Cantillas ) Canyon , 1 June 1952, Harbison C. F. s/n ( CAS, SD) ; Canyon del Diablo, to the North and West of Picacho del Diablo ( Cerro La Encantada ), eastern flank of Sierra San Pedro Mártir , 17

June 1954, Chambers K. L. 630 ( CAS, UC) ; Sierra San Borja, San Juan Mine, 24 Mar. 1960, R. MoranR. Moran 8017 ( CAS, SD) ; 3 mi W of Santa Catarina, 64 miles SE of Ensenada , 21 Aug. 1961, Broder R. E. 599 ( BM, MEXU, US) ; Sierra San Pedro Mártir , along trail on way to La Encantada to Rimrock, 5 Sept. 1961, Wiggins I. R. 16647 ( CAS) ; Mouth of Valley of San Juan, 25 Nov. 1961, R. Moran 8497 ( CAS, SD) ; El Topo, Sierra Juárez, 29 June 1962, R. Moran 9811 ( CAS, SD, UC) ; 3 mi north of El Topo , Sierra Juárez, 29 June 1962, R. Moran 9806 ( CAS, SD, UC, US) ; Portezuelo de Jamau , 9 May 1963, R. Moran 10978 ( SD, UC, US) ; Cerro Chato , 3 June 1963, R. Moran 11120 ( CAS, SD, UC) ; Summit Cerro La Sand´ıa, 21 Jan 1964, R. Moran 11536 ( CAS, SD) ; Sierra San Borja , summit of Cerro La Chona, 19 Mar. 1966, R. Moran 12792 ( CAS, SD) ; Sierra Juárez , 1.5 miles NW of Rancho Marcos, 4 Sept. 1966, R. Moran 13481 ( SD) ; Cerro La Encantada , 19 Aug. 1967, R. Moran 14358 ( BCMEX, MEXU, SD, UC) ; Santa Rosa. San Pedro Mártir, 20 Aug. 1967, R. Moran & Thorne R. F. 14426 ( BCMEX, LL, UC) ; Sierra San Pedro Mártir , rocky ridge north of Vallecitos, 6 Jul. 1968, R. Moran 15279 ( SD) ; East slope above Arroyo Copal, 25 Aug. 1968, R. Moran 15515 ( BCMEX, MEXU SD) ; Sierra San Pedro Mártir , near the settlement of Vallecitos, 21 Sept. 1968, Breedlove D. E. 16365 ( CAS) ; On slope above meadow at Vallecitos, Sierra San Pedro Mártir, 9 Aug. 1969, Witham H. V. 420 ( BCMEX, SD) ; West slope of Cerro Pinón ~, 3 km north of el Alamo, 30 May. 1970, R. Moran 17672 ( MEXU, SD) ; Sierra Juárez , 3 miles SW of San Pedro, 19 Sept. 1971, R. Moran 18517 ( SD) ; Sierra Juárez , 3 Oct. 1971, R. Moran 18665 ( SD) ; North slope at summit of Cerro Matom´ı, 3 May 1973, R. Moran 20742 ( CAS, SD, UC) ; North slope of Cerro Tarasizo, southernmost peak of range. Also on summit, 2 May 1976, R. Moran 23008 ( SD) ; Los Manzanos , 20 Aug. 1977, R. Moran s/n ( BCMEX) ; Sierra San Pedro Mártir, 20 Aug. 1977, R. Moran 24543 ( SD) ; Steep rocky hillside, 1 km NW of Tres Pozos, 26 May 1979, R. Moran 23008 ( CAS, SD) ; Tres Pozos , Sierra de Juárez, 26 May1979, R. Moran 27402 ( CAS) ; On rocky slope 3.5 km SE of El Compadre, 14 Nov. 1981, R. Moran 29888 ( SD) ; Arroyo 3 km west of Cerro el Toro, 31 May 1982, R. Moran 30894 ( SD) ; Vallecitos 3 June 1982, Dice J. s/n ( BCMEX) ; Vallecitos Open , road to Observatory and campground, 18 June 1985, Thorne R. F. s/n ( BCMEX) ; Area del observatorio, San Pedro Mártir. 13 Oct. 1985, Delgadillo J. s/n ( BCMEX) ; Observatorio San Pedro Mártir, 29 Jul. 1986, Salazar M. s/n ( BCMEX) ; San Pedro Mártir, 29 Jul. 1986, Passini & Salazar s/n ( BCMEX) ; San Pedro Mártir, 8 Aug. 1986, Passini & Salazar s/n ( HCIB) ; Northern Sierra San Pedro Mártir, SW corner of a small plateu on the western escarpment, 17 June 1988, Sanders A. C. 7940 ( BCMEX, SD, UC) ; Sierra Juárez , 3 miles East of Laguna Hanson, 26 Jul. 1994, Rebman J. 2840 ( BCMEX, SD, UC) ; Sierra San Pedro Mártir , ridgetop above and east of Vallecitos area, 25 June 1996, Rebman J. 3263 ( BCMEX, SD) ; Sierra San Pedro Mártir: Rancho Picacho, norte de SPM, 5 May. 1998, Delgadillo J. s/n ( BCMEX) ; 10 km al W de la Reserva de la Biósfera San Pedro Mártir, 11 Apr. 2004, Hernández L. 5274 ( QMEX) ; 11 km al W de la Reserva de la Biósfera San Pedro Mártir, 11 Apr. 2004, Hernández L. 5275 ( QMEX) ; Carreteras entre Ensenada y San Felipe, 13 Apr. 2004, Hernández L. 5278 ( QMEX) ; Sierra La Libertad : vicinity of el Rodeo ; along the trail between Rancho Hierba Buena and Las Cuevitas , 25 Oct. 2009, Rebman J. 18666 ( SD) .

Species Possibly Present on the Baja California Peninsula —Two species, Nolina cismontana and N. parryi have not yet been discovered on the Baja California peninsula, but grow at a distance less than 50 miles north of it in San Diego County, California, USA ( Hess 2002). It is very likely that either one of these species could occur in the Baja California region. We consider it important to include a small diagnosis of each as well as photographs for both species so that accurate identification can be made if encountered in the region.

Figures

FIG.9. Nolina palmeri. A. Habit. B. Leaf lamina and margin. C. Leaf apices. D. Staminate inflorescence branch. E. Staminate flowers. F. Pistillate flowers. G. Infructescence branch. H. Fruits. Photos: Jon Rebman.

FIG. 10. Distribution of Nolina palmeri in the Baja California Peninsula.