Zea nicaraguensis (Poaceae), a new teosinte from Pacific coastal Nicaragua

The geographically isolated annual teosinte from the coastal plain and emba yments/estuaries near the Gulf of Fonseca, Nicaragua, is differentiated fro m Zea luxurians from southeastern Guatemala by its much longer and more abu ndant tassel branches, larger number of spikelets per branch, and longer, m ore pronouncedly transversely rugose outer glumes, as well as by its low-el evation coastal habitat. Molecular (ribosomal ITS) evidence and other data, placing it basal to Z. luxurians, seem to support this taxonomic segregati on.