Tillandsia tecolometl Granados, Flores-Cruz & Salazar, 2016

Mendoza, Carolina Granados, Salazar, Gerardo A. & Flores-Cruz, María, 2016, A New Species of the Mexican Tillandsia erubescens Group (Bromeliaceae), Phytotaxa 260 (1), pp. 57-65 : 59-62

Tillandsia tecolometl Granados, Flores-Cruz & Salazar , sp. nov. ( Figs. 2–3 , 4b )

Similar to Tillandsia macdougallii but differing in its longer, ovate to oblong leaf sheaths covered by scales with appressed wing cells; longer and fusiform inflorescence; ovate to oblong, spoon-shaped floral bracts, its sheathing part completely covering the rachis at anthesis; acute sepals; linear-oblong and acute petals; and cylindrical ovary.

Type:— MEXICO. Estado de México: municipio Temascaltepec, 500 metros sobre la desviación a Plan de Vigas que está en las Juntas, km 31 de la carretera la Puerta del Monte-Texcatitlán, 2894 m, 20 December 2006, C. Granados, M. Flores-Cruz & G. A. Salazar 415 (holotype: MEXU!).

Epiphytic herbs; mature shoot generally solitary, 18.7–31 (–42) cm in height including the inflorescence. Leaves shorter than the inflorescence, or rarely longer, fleshy; sheaths greenish brown with dark brown or purple margins, ovate to oblong, 5–10 × 2.5–5 cm, abaxial surface covered by scales with appressed wing cells; blades greyish green, narrowly triangular, 10.2–20.5 × 0.8–1.5 (–2.2) cm, margins involute, abaxial surface covered by scales with patent wing cells. Peduncle shorter than the leaves, or rarely longer, 8.5–22 × 0.2–0.4 cm, completely covered by bracts, tomentose; peduncle bracts fleshy, smooth, abaxial surface covered by scales with patent wing cells, sheathing part pink, ovate, 4–6.2 (–7.8) × 1.2–2.8 cm, blade-like apex pale pink, narrowly triangular, 4.5–9 (–12) × 0.2–0.6 cm, margins involute. Inflorescence simple, spicate, arcuate-pendulous, fusiform, (9–) 11.5–14.5 (–19) × 4–8 cm, with 10–15 flowers; floral bracts converging toward the rachis, completely covering the rachis at anthesis, fleshy, smooth, abaxial surface covered by scales with patent wing cells, salmon-pink, ovate to oblong, 3.5–7 (–8.2) × 1.4–3.2 cm, the proximal ones provided with a triangular blade-like apex, 1–2.8 × 0.1–0.3 cm, the distal ones acute. Supernumerary bracts not observed. Flowers spirally arranged, descending; sepals membranaceous, smooth, abaxial surface covered by scales with patent wing cells, tan with green centre on their proximal 1/2 and pink on the rest, ovate, acute, 3.3–4.6 × 1.3–2.2 cm, the adaxial ones slightly carinate, shortly connate at base (less than 4 mm); petals white on their proximal 5/8, purple with white margins above, linear-oblong, acute with reflexed margin at the apex, (5.4–) 6–6.5 × 0.6–0.9 cm; stamens exserted, unequal; filaments white, 5.4–7 cm long, elliptic in their upper cross-section, anthers dorsifixed, joined 1/3 from the base, yellow, 3–4 mm long, pollen yellow; ovary green, cylindrical, 7–15 × 2–4 mm, style exceeding the stamens, white, 5.5–6.6 cm long, stigma lilac, conduplicate-spiral. Fruit a capsule, 3.4 × 1.5 cm, beaked, seeds 13–18 mm long, coma 1–3 mm long.

Etymology:—The specific epithet refers to the vernacular name given to this species by local people in the Estado de México, which is derived from Náhuatl tecolotl, meaning owl, and metl, a plant of the genus Agave , perhaps alluding to the rosette of leaves suggesting agaves “perching” on the trees.

Distribution and habitat: —Endemic to Mexico (Mexico City, Durango, Estado de México, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Michoacán, Oaxaca, Puebla, Tlaxcala, and Veracruz; Fig. 5 ). Usually epiphytic on pine trees, but also found growing on oaks in mixed pine-oak forests at 2200–3300 m elev.

Phenology: —Flowering in the field from December to July, dehiscing fruits recorded in March.

Local uses:— At the type locality, local people use the floral bracts of this species to make a sort of whistle ( Fig. 6 ).

Discussion:— Tillandsia tecolometl is easily distinguished from the other species of the T. erubescens group with purple corollas by its large, fusiform, many-flowered inflorescence with converging floral bracts toward the rachis, which completely cover the rachis at anthesis ( Table 1). The new species can be confused in herbarium material with T. macdougallii , however several morphological differences clearly differentiate the two taxa ( Table 1, Fig. 4 ). Furthermore, T. tecolometl is usually found growing on pines (rarely on oaks) and inhabits colder and taller pinenarrow-leaved oak forests often reaching higher elevations (2200–3300 m), whereas T. macdougallii grows indistinctly on pines and oaks in warmer, shorter pine-broadleaf oak forests at lower elevations (ca. 2400–2800 m). The new species is exclusively found along the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, whereas T. macdougallii occurs on the Sierra Madre Oriental and Sierra Madre del Sur in the state of Oaxaca, with a single locality on the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt ( Fig. 5 ). Tillandsia tecolometl is the sister species of T. oaxacana ( Granados Mendoza 2008) , but these two species can be easily separated by a number of differences indicated in Table 1.

Additional material examined (Paratypes): — MEXICO. Mexico City: Delegación Tlalpan, Volcán. Xitle , 2800 m, February 1952, Matuda 26036 (MEXU!) ; subida del NE al Xitle, Pedregal de San Ángel, 17 February 1952, Rzedowski 760 (MEXU!). Estado de México: municipio de Amecameca, San Pedro Nexapa , 2757 m, 28 October 2013 (cultivated at CUCIBROM, pressed 14 April 2015), Flores & Juárez 1828 (MEXU!) ; municipio Coatepec Harinas, Cojones, 26 km sobre la desviación “La Puerta”, carr. Toluca-Almoloya de Alquisiras , 2950 m, 8 April 1993, Flores-Cruz & Riveros 1013 (CHAPA!) ; municipio Iztapaluca, 2 km al W del Parque Nacional Zoquiapan , 3100 m, 2 November 1975, Campos & Rivas 88 (ENCB!) ; estación experimental de investigación y enseñanza de Zoquiapan , 8 km al S de Río Frío, camino 4 al sur del entronque con camino 5, 3300 m, 18 March 1979, Vega 584 (CHAPA!) ; 1 km al W de la Colonia Agrícola M. Ávila Camacho , 2900 m, 29 March 1981, Rzedowski 37227 (ANSM!) ; municipio Jilotzingo , alrededores de Jilotzingo, 2600 m, 28 January 1996, Flores-Cruz et al. 1255 (CHAPA!) ; municipio Juchitepec, Vihuilasco , 2800 m, 1 February 1976, Ventura 938 (CIIDIR, ENCB!, MEXU!, NY!) ; 6 km al S de Juchitepec y 2 km sobre la desviación a Oaxtepec, km 29 de la carr. Juchitepec-Tepetlixpa , 2840 m, 19 January 1992, Flores-Cruz & Riveros 675 (CHAPA!) ; 11 km al S de Juchitepec y 3 km sobre la desviación a Oaxtepec , 24 June 1995, Flores-Cruz & Riveros 1090 (CHAPA!) ; municipio San José Villa Allende, en San Felipe , 13 km al SO de Villa Victoria , 2440 m, 28 January 1986, Soto 11850 (MEXU!) ; municipio Tlalmanalco , 2 km al NE de Tlalmanalco, 2450 m, 5 December 1968, Pineda 644 (ENCB!) ; municipio unspecified, kilómetro 47, Camino de Puebla, 2700 m, 12 November 1950, Matuda 18854 (MEXU!) ; Llano Grande, Valle de México, 2800 m, 6 August 1950, Matuda 18860 (MEXU!) ; Cerro Papayo, Río Frío , 3200 m, 22 February 1953, Matuda et al. 28233 ( ENCB!, MEXU!) ; Río Frío, Mex., 3000 m, 1 February 1975, Matuda 38670 (MEXU!). Hidalgo: municipio Apam, 1 km al N. de la ex Hacienda de Chimalpa , 2200 m, 23 April 1981, Hernández 5743 ; municipio Tepeapulco, Tezontepec , 2600 m, 30 November 1975, Ventura 638 (ENCB) ; Cerro de Xihuingo , 2950 m, 30 December 1975, Ventura 743 (ANSM!, ENCB!, FCME!, IBUG!) ; Cerro de Xihuingo , 2850 m, 23 March 1976, Ventura 1204 (CHAPA!, ENCB!, MO!) ; 5 km al NW de San Jerónimo, 2800 m, 21 March 1964, Rzedowski 18280 (CAS!, ENCB!, GMS!, MICH!, TEX!, WIS!). Jalisco: municipio unspecified, Sierra de Manantlán, 25–30 km. southeast of Autlán , along lumber-roads east of the road-crossing called “La Cumbre” between El Chante and Cuzalapa, 2750 m, 20–21 March 1965, McVaugh 23146 (ENCB!, MEXU!, MICH!). Puebla: municipio unspecified, camino viejo a “Majadas”, San Juan Tetla, 3300 m, 11 October 1981, Victoria s.n. ( ENCB!, MEXU!) ; San Manuel de la Sierra to San Andreas , 3200 m, 6 May 1938, Balls B 4452 (UC!) ; Río Frío , 3200 m, 6 April 1969, Boege 1160 (MEXU!). Tlaxcala: municipio de Huamantla, bajando del Centro Vacacional Altamira (IMSS) hacia Huamantla, 2836 m, 9 february 2015, Salazar et al. 9499 (MEXU!) ; municipio de Teolocholco, carretera de San Miguel Canoa (Puebla) al Parque Nacional la Malinche , 2692 m, 9 february 2015, Salazar et al. 9495 (MEXU!) ; municipio Terrenate, 7 km al S de Terrenate, carr. Terrenate-Villa Real , 2925 m, 10 July 1992, Flores-Cruz et al. 850 (CHAPA!) ; municipio unspecified, hacia cerro Cuatlapauca, 26 March 1949, Miranda 5219 (MEXU!). Veracruz: municipio unspecified, Vicinity of Orizaba , 2500 m, 2 December 1991, Cathcart s.n. (SEL!) .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Illustration of Tillandsia tecolometl from C. Granados, M. Flores-Cruz & G. A. Salazar 415. (a) Habit. (b) Flower. (c) Sepals. (d) Petal. (e) Pistil. (f) Ovary cross section. (g) Stamen. Drawing by Elvia Esparza Alvarado.

FIGURE 3. (a)–(d) Tillandsia tecolometl (from the type locality in Temascaltepec, Estado de México). (a) Flowering plant. (b) Close-up of the inflorescence. (c) A solitary plant growing on Pinus. (d) Floral card showing flower parts.

FIGURE 4. Close-up of the inflorescences of (a) Tillandsia macdougallii (from Santa María Lachixío, state of Oaxaca) and (b) Tillandsia tecolometl (from the type locality in Temascaltepec, Estado de México).

FIGURE 5. Known distribution of T. tecolometl (black rectangles with white centre) and T. macdougallii (white stars).

FIGURE 6. (a)–(b) local use of T. tecolometl. The floral bracts of this species are used by local people for producing a kind of whistle.