A disjunct population of Cryosophila recently discovered in the Colombian Choc6 is morphologically quite distinct from previously described Cryosophila species. Unique to the genus are its large fruits with large, deeply furrowed seeds. This new Cryosophila, C. macrocarpa, appears to be most closely allied to C. guagara of the Golfo Dulce area of Costa Rica and adjacent Panama. Cryosophila Blume comprises approximately 1113 mostly narrowly endemic species of understory, primarily lowland wet forest palms distributed from Pacific coastal and southern Mexico to northwestern Colombia. The most distinctive generic characteristic is the usually branched, often numerous and long spines derived from roots that grow out of the normally solitary stem. Although the generic limits of Cryosophila are well defined, its species are poorly delineated. The difficulty arises because there are few characters that differentiate species. Most characters are either invariant (e.g., most floral characters) or continuously variable (e.g., the pattern and degree of stem armature and leaf blade splitting) across the genus. The most important diagnostic features are inflorescence shape and structure. Few species can be identified sterile, even in the field. G. Galeano and R. G. Bernal (both of COL) recently discovered a disjunct Pacific coastal Cryosophila population (sterile at the time) near the town of El Valle in the Department of Choc6. While in Colombia conducting field studies as part of a monograph of the genus, I collected fertile material from this population possessing characteristics that clearly differentiate it from previously described species of Cryosophila. Cryosophila macrocarpa R. Evans, sp. nov. TYPE: Colombia. Choc6: ca. 300 m S of Bahia Solano-El Valle road ca. 2 km from El Valle (ca. 500 m E of the bridge over Quebrada Tundo), elev. ca. 20 m, 6007'30N, 77?25'W, 6 Mar. 1991, R. J. Evans & J. G. Ramirez 213 (holotype, COL; isotypes, JAUM, MICH, MO). Figures 1, 2. NOVON 2: 58-61. 1992. A congeneribus fructibus majoribus (3.1-3.6(-3.7 in statu vivo) cm longis, 2.6-2.9(-3.0 in statu vivo) cm latis) et seminibus majoribus (2.5-2.7 cm longis, 2.1-2.3 cm latis) testis profunde sulcatis differt. Solitary palm. Stem ca. 5 m long, erect or briefly decumbent, ca. 12 cm DBH, armed with root-spines distributed uniformly or not along length of stem; internodes not discernible. Root-spines 0-ca. 100 per 10 cm of stem, most to 18 cm (average 6-8 cm) long, occasional outliers to 55 cm long, almost always 1-2-times branched, usually descending, growing into soil at the stem base. Leaves ca. 30 in a spreading crown, ca. 6 distal to youngest inflorescence, 7-16 dead and pendulous; petiole rounded abaxially, channeled adaxially, 2.80-3.05 m long, 2.38-2.57 cm wide (fresh) at narrowest point just proximal to blade, splitting basally with age; basal sheath cream-colored, densely floccose, disintegrating and fraying into elongate fibers over time; hastula elevated, blunt, very depressed-triangular, 0.1-0.7 cm long, 2.9-3.8 cm wide, dorsally plicate and carinate; blade induplicately palmate, very broadly ovate in outline, 0.200-0.225 mm thick (fresh) adjacent to central margin 10 cm from apex of most recently fully expanded leaf, adaxial surface glabrous, abaxial grayish pubescent; central segments 126.5-158.0 cm long; lateral segments 85.0-110.5 cm long, ca. 2--4 as long as central segments; central abaxial split to within (2.5-)4.0-6.0 cm of base, dividing blade into two ? equal halves of 2932 segments each; primary adaxial splits less deep than central abaxial split with depth of splitting increasing from inner (ca. 4-78 to base) to outer splits, dividing each half into 6-7 sections of 2-10 segments each, with the central sections containing (5-)8-10 segments each, the middle 3-4 sections of each half containing (3-)4-5(-6) segments each, and 2 the lateral-most sections of each half containing (2-)3-4(-5) segments each; secondary adaxial splits 14-/(-2m) to base; inner ca. 4 sections of each half fully divided; lateral section undivided; segments widest (4.1-4.6 cm wide ca. 40 cm from apex) near central abaxial split, narrowing toward the lateral segment, sometimes with slight constricThis content downloaded from 157.55.39.163 on Sun, 20 Nov 2016 04:22:11 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms Volume 2, Number 1 1992 Evans Cryosophila macrocarpa Figures 1, 2. Cryosophila macrocarpa R. Evans (Evans & Ramirez 213). -1. Inflorescence with aborted flowers. -2. Infructescence with mature fruit. Scale bar = 20 cm. tion distally, briefly bifid and often sub-sickle-shaped and diverging apically; longitudinal veins 10-14 per half-segment, 0.9-3.3 mm apart at widest portion (ca. mid-segment) of widest segments; longitudinal veinlets 3-7 between adjacent veins, 0.2-0.6 mm apart; irregular transverse commissures connecting longitudinal veins abundant and conspicuous abaxially and adaxially. Inflorescences with 3 orders of branching, interfoliar, ascending at emergence through split petiole base, then abruptly deflected; primary axis 62-78 cm long, cream-colored, densely floccose, 1.15-1.29 cm diam. at juncture of peduncle and rachis; prophyll lanceolate with truncate, sheathing base and acuminate apex, bicarinate, 23.5-25.5 cm long, persistent; inflorescence bracts with tubular base and cochleariform, apically acuminate blade, cream-colored, densely floccose, the 2 basal-most bracts ovate when detached and flattened, ca. 31 cm long, the bracts progressively smaller, particularly in width, toward apex, apical bracts very narrowly obovate; peduncle 50.0-57.5 cm long; peduncular bracts 4, persistent; peduncular bract scars slightly oblique; rachis 12.0-20.5 cm long; first-order branches ca. 10, broadly flattened perpendicular to primary axis, irregularly divided, to 7.5 cm long near base of rachis, shortening toward apex, each subtended by a deciduous bract; rachis bracts caducous apically, progressively more persistent toward base of rachis; rachis bract scars strongly oblique; rachillae to 5 cm long near base of rachis, shortening toward apex; rachillae bracteoles sheathing basally, irregularly shaped, 4.58.5 mm long, 0.5-1.5 mm wide just distal to basal sheath. Flowers perfect, 4.9-5.4 mm long, 3.8-4.8 mm diam., borne singly on pedicels 1.0-1.5 mm long, each subtended by a narrowly triangular to triangular bracteole 1.0-1.4 mm long, 0.4-0.7 wide; eceptacle 0.6-0.8 mm long; sepals 3, acute, 4.35.3 mm long, connate basally ca. /3-1/2 their length; petals 3, cochleariform, thickened at center, hyaline at margin, stipitate, 2.6-3.1 mm long, 3.4-4.4 mm wide and flabelliform when detached and flattened, imbricate, adnate to calyx basally; stamens 6; filaments flat, 2.8-3.3 mm long, connate nearly to their apices in a hyaline, membranous, narrowly ampulliform tube 1.4-1.8 mm diam.; anthers briefly bifid at base and apex, 1.6-2.0 mm long, 0.6-0.9 mm wide, cream-colored, dehiscent laterally by longitudinal slits; carpels 3; ovary ca. 1 mm long, 0.50.7 mm diam.; stigma + style 1.9-2.8 mm long; stigma slightly expanded. Fruit oval, 3.1-3.7 cm long, 2.6-3.0 cm diam., cream-colored at maturity, 59 This content downloaded from 157.55.39.163 on Sun, 20 Nov 2016 04:22:11 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms