Catopsis compacta
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Catopsis compacta
Species. Mexico.
Photo Terence Davis at BSA.
Ken Woods.
Mitch Jones 12/24. aff. compacta


Catopsis compacta Mez. Bulletin de L'Herbier Boissier, Geneve & Bale, 2(3):140, 1903.
Holotype: L. C. Smith 543, Mexico, Oaxaca, Macaltepec, 1 June 1895; GH!, staminate plant.
Detail from Palaci 1997
Plants in flower 30-60 cm, dioecious.
Leaves in a subfasciculate rosette, triangular to narrowly triangular-lanceolate, yellowish olive-green, often with very narrow yellowish margins, 17-30 cm long, strict;
leaf-blades triangular to narrowly triangular, 2.7-4 cm wide, the apex short-acurninate and recurved;
leaf sheaths gradually merging into the blades, elliptic to narrowly elliptic, 10-15 x 5-7.5 cm, 1.5-2.5 times wider than the blades.
Scape erect;
lower scape bracts imbricate, foliaceous, narrowly triangular, much longer than the internodes, the apex acuminate and recurved;
upper scape bracts narrowly triangular, (3)5-10(14) x 1-2 cm, equalling to slightly shorter than the internodes, the apex cirrhosus.

Pistillate inflorescence once pinnate, 9-17 cm long, with 4-8 spikes;
lower primary bracts triangular to narrowly triangular, 1-3 x 0.3-0.5 cm, much shorter than the sterile bases of the spikes, the apex cirrhosus;
spikes erect, divergent, short-stipitate, 5-6 cm long, each spike bearing ca. 7-10 flowers densely arranged.

Staminate inflorescence twice-pinnate, 10-25 cm, with 10-25 spikes;
lower primary bracts similar to the pistillate plants, 2-10 x 0.3-1 cm;
spikes 2.5-7 cm long, with ca. 13-21 flowers per spike, more or less densely arranged.

Flowers functionally unisexual, sessile.
Pistillate flowers:
floral bracts triangular to deltate, 4.5-7 x 3.5-6 mm, 2-4 mm shorter than the sepals, membranaceous, nerved, the apex obtuse;
sepals yellowish green, stramineous when dry, asymmetric, elliptic to widely elliptic, 7-9 x 5.5-6.5 mm, subcoriaceous, smooth and faintly nerved when dry, the apex obtuse;
petals white, triangular, 9-10 x 4-6 mm, barely exserted from the sepals.
Staminate flowers:
floral bracts deltate to widely deltate, 3-5 x 2.5-4.5 mm, 2-3 mm shorter than the sepals, membranaceous, faintly nerved, the apex obtuse;
sepals yellowish green, stramineous when dry, subsymmetric, membranaceous and faintly nerved, 4.5-6(8) x 3-4.5 mm, the apex obtuse;
petals white, triangular to narrowly triangular, 5.5-7.5 x 2-3 mm, scarcely exceeding the sepals.
Capsules ovoid, short-beaked, 9-12 x 5-6.5 mm.

Epiphytic in forests, 1300-1950m. Oaxaca, and Jalisco, Mexico, endemic. In flower from April to July.

C. compacta can be distinguished from C. hahnii Baker by its lower primary bracts which are much shorter than the spikes, with recurved, often cirrhosus apex.

Catopsis compacta Mez, Bull. Herb. Boiss. II. 3: 140. 1903.
Desc from S&D
Plant flowering 35-60 cm high.
Leaves many in a subutriculate rosette, strict, 2-3 dm long, very obscurely brown-punctulate, bearing a fine cretaceous coat especially toward the base;
sheaths elliptic-oblong, usually longer than the blades and merging imperceptibly with them, 6 cm wide;
blades triangular, more or less revolute toward the apex.
Scape erect, its bracts foliaceous, erect, densely imbricate.
Inflorescence subdensely 3-pinnate, ellipsoid, 15-23 cm long, glabrous;
primary bracts broadly ovate, long-acuminate, shorter than the axillary branches or rarely the lowest longer;
lower branches bearing 3 or 4 subfasciculate spikes, divergent;
spikes short-stipitate, cylindric, densely flowered, 3-5 cm long.
Floral bracts broadly ovate, obtuse, slightly shorter than the sepals, thin;
flowers perfect, suberect.
Sepals strongly asymmetric, 5 mm long;
petals barely exserted, white;
stamens unequal; style very short.
TYPE. L. C. Smith 543 (holotype GH), Macaltepec, Oaxaca, Mexico, 1 Jun 1895.
DISTRIBUTION. Epiphytic in forest, 400-2065 m alt, southern Mexico.
MEXICO. JALISCO: Autlan to La Resolana, 19 Aug 1949, Wilbur 2441 (MICH, US). OAXACA: Portillo de Coyula, Cuicatlan, 21 Jun 1909, Conzatti & Gomez 2375 (F); Cerro Atravesado, 1948, MacDougall s n (US); Chacalapa, Pochutla, 26 Sep 1965, Rzedowski 21210-A (IPMEX, US). CHIAPAS: Pueblo Nuevo Solistahuacan, Jun 1963, Tillett 636-18 (US); Ocozocoautla, 28 Oct 1965, Breedlove 13936 (US). Without exact locality: Karwinski s n (M).

Catopsis compacta Mez, Bull. Herb. Boiss. II. 3: 140. 1903.
Detail from McVaugh in Flora Novo Galiciana
On trees, in oak or oak-pine forest, 1400-2000 m in Nueva Galicia, flowering Aug-?Oct.
Jai., Gro., Oax. (Nacaltepec, L. C. Smith 543, GH!, the holotype), Chis. Seaward-facing slopes in oak forest ca 16 km SW of Autlan (Wilbur 2441); 5-6 km S of Chiquilistlan (McVaugh 26014).
Plants 35-60 cm high;
leaves many, 20-36 cm long, the blades triangular, more or less revolute toward the apex,
the sheaths elliptic-oblong, 6 cm wide, usually longer than the blades and merging imperceptibly with them;
inflorescence often drooping, compactly thrice-compound, ellipsoid, 15-25 (-35) cm long, glabrous, the lower branches divergent, bearing 2-4 subfasciculate spikes;
scape-bracts foliaceous, erect, densely imbricated;
spikes short-stipitate, cylindric, 3-5 cm long, densely flowered, with internodes 1-5 mm long;
floral bracts broadly ovate, obtuse or acute, thin, markedly convex-inflated at base, 3.5-5 mm long and about as wide, slightly shorter than the sepals;
flowers perfect, suberect;
sepals strongly asymmetrical, 5-7 mm long;
petals barely exserted, white;
stamens unequal; style very short.

Updated 23/12/24