Wittmackia urbaniana (Mez) Aguirre-Santoro (2017: 639)

Aguirre-Santoro, Julián, 2018, Taxonomic revision of the Caribbean-endemic species of Wittmackia (Bromeliaceae), Phytotaxa 336 (2), pp. 101-147 : 141-142

17. Wittmackia urbaniana (Mez) Aguirre-Santoro (2017: 639) . Basionym: Hohenbergia urbaniana Mez in Urban (1900: 253). TYPE:— JAMAICA. Manchester Parish: inter New Green, 30 April 1896, W.H. Harris 6432 (holotype B!, isotype GH!)

Hohenbergia proctorii Smith (1960: 252) . TYPE:— JAMAICA. St. Elizabeth Parish: 1 mile north of Four Paths, along road to Ginger Hill, 229 m, 6 April 1952, G.R. Proctor 6567 (holotype US!, isotype IJ!).

Plant epiphytic, cespitose, 120–140 cm tall; rosette broad. Leaves 71–123 cm long, coriaceous; sheaths conspicuous, oblong to elliptical, 18.5–22 × 12–14 cm, white to pale brown, lepidote on both surfaces, serrulate, occasionally entire; blades lingulate, 48–100 cm long, 7.5–9.9 cm wide at the base, 6.2–8.2 cm wide in the middle, green, both surfaces smooth, lepidote abaxially, glabrescent adaxially, apex initially rounded, then ending in a sharp and acuminate mucro, margins serrate, the teeth evenly distributed, triangular to hook-shaped, straight, antrorse to retrorse, green or castaneous, 0.2–1.2 mm long. Inflorescence erect, inclined, or pendulous; peduncle almost completely exposed out of the rosette, stout, rigid, 52–58 cm long, 7–10 mm in diameter, green, floccose, central internodes 4.5–5.9 cm, distal internodes 4.2–5 cm; peduncle bracts longer than the internodes, marcescent, membranaceous, nervose, green to dull purple, the central erect, imbricate, lanceolate to elliptical, 7.3–7.8 × 1.6–2 cm, floccose abaxially, glabrescent adaxially, entire, apex acuminate, the distal ones erect, imbricate, lanceolate, 5.5–6.5 × 1–1.9 cm, floccose abaxially, glabrescent adaxially, entire, apex acuminate; fertile part of the inflorescence conical to cylindrical, 12.8–26 cm long, 8.8–19 cm wide in the middle, 1-divided, branches 6 to 14 in number, rachis straight, green, 7.3–16 cm long, 5–9 mm in diameter, floccose. Primary bracts similar to the peduncle bracts, gradually diminishing in size towards the apex of the inflorescence, diverging from the rachis, marcescent, membranaceous, nervose, shorter than the branches, occasionally surpassing the basal branches; the basal ones lanceolate, 5.1–6.5 × 0.7–1.8 cm, green, floccose-lepidote abaxially, glabrous adaxially, entire, apex acuminate to attenuate; the apical ones lanceolate, 2.8–4.4 × 0.8–1.4 cm, green, floccose-lepidote abaxially, glabrous adaxially, entire, apex attenuate. Spikes prolate to cylindrical, 4.1–16.5 cm long, 1.8–3.7 cm wide in the middle; stipes exposed, 4–20 mm long, 4–10 mm in diameter, terete, floccose to glabrescent, 18 to 70 flowered; rachis 4.1–16.5 cm long. Floral bracts gradually diminishing in size towards the apex of the spike, partially enfolding the ovaries, imbricate, erect to suberect, slightly concave, coriaceous, ovate, 12–26 × 10–17 mm, yellow to orange, occasionally greenish, nervose, ecarinate or carinate, glabrous, entire, apex initially acute to obtuse, then ending in a sharp and acuminate mucro of 1.1–3 mm long. Flowers erect, 12–26 mm long. Calyx dorsiventrally compressed; sepals coriaceous, long-triangular, asymmetrical, 9.1–11.8 mm long, 2.8–4.5 mm wide at the base, the unwinged side 0.7–1.5 mm wide, the winged side 1.3–2.5 mm wide, greenish yellow, both surfaces smooth, glabrous, entire, apex acute to acuminate, gradually turning into a sharp mucro of 1–2.2 mm long. Corolla tubular; petals oblong, 14.5–18 × 2–2.8 mm, white, glabrous, entire, apex acute; petal appendages flanking the antepetalous stamens, originating at 7.3–9 mm from the petal base. Stamens included; filaments flattened, 10.3–13 mm long, 0.3–0.4 mm in diameter, white; anthers elliptical, 2.9–4 × 0.4–0.9 mm, white, mucronate. Ovary ovoid, dorsiventrally compressed, 3.2–4.5 mm long, 5.3–9 mm in diameter, white, glabrous, placentation apically axile; epigynous tube 0.4–0.9 mm long; ovules more than 30 per ovary, globose. Style longer than the stamens, 14.5–18 mm long, white; stigma white, 0.7–1.7 mm long. Fruits ovoid, dorsiventrally compressed, 12.2–14 mm long, 7.8 mm in diameter, green to yellow, glabrous. Seeds more than 10 per fruit, club-shaped, 2 × 0.5 mm ( Fig. 19 ).

Etymology:— This species is named in honor to the German botanist Ignatz Urban.

Distribution, habitat, and phenology:— Wittmackia urbaniana is endemic to central and central-southern Jamaica at 100–950 m elevation ( Fig 2 ). It grows as epiphyte in moist forests on limestone formations. This species grows sympatrically with W. spinulosa . Collected in flower from July to September.

Conservation status:— Wittmackia urbaniana is categorized here as Vunerable (VU B1ab(iii); IUCN 2001) because its extent of occurrence of about 1300 km 2 includes more than ten populations inhabiting well-preserved, but often fragmented, forests in central to southwestern Jamaica, including the southern edge of the Cockpit Country.

Taxonomic comments and affinities:— Aguirre-Santoro (2017) recently synonymized Wittmackia proctorii within W. urbaniana based on the observation of the changing morphology of spikes and floral parts from anthesis to fruit. Wittmackia urbaniana is one of the most distinctive species of Caribbean-endemic Wittmackia because of its wide spikes bearing large (> 12 mm long), highly imbricate, and mostly yellow to orange floral bracts that conceal the flowers, except the corolla. The most similar species to W. urbaniana is W. inermis , but differs from it by its generally shorter inflorescence rachis (7.3–16 cm vs. (14–) 18–37 cm long); shorter (4–20 mm vs. 24–49 mm long) and stouter stipes (5–10 mm vs. 1.8–3.2 mm in diameter); longer sepals (9.1–11.8 mm vs. 7–8.2 mm long); petal appendages detaching at 10–12 mm from the base (vs. 7.3 mm); and longer filaments (10.3–13 mm vs. 8.3 mm long).

Additional specimens examined:— UNKNOWN ORIGIN. flowered in cultivation at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 12 July 1993, Luther s.n. (SEL).

JAMAICA. Clarendon Parish: October 1972, Adams 13281 ( UCWI!) ; Aenon Town to McKoy , 12 November 1972, duQuesnay s.n. ( UCWI!) ; Middlesex, Mocho Mountains, 1.5 miles southeast of Thompson Town , 610 m, 4 April 1952, Proctor 6515 ( IJ!) ; 2 miles southeast of Crooked River P.O., 215 m, 10 June 1952, Proctor 6768 ( IJ!) ; 2 miles southeast of Crooked River P.O., 215 m, 10 June 1952, Proctor 6769 ( IJ!) ; 0.5 miles southeast of Suttons , 200 m, 11 April 1953, Proctor 7876 ( IJ!) ; Proctor 7877 ( IJ!) ; Alcoa Teak Pen mining area, between Pits H-9 & H-7, 395– 455 m, 31 December 1963, Proctor 24362 ( IJ!) ; Middlesex, 1 mile E of Spaldings along the road to White Shop , 730 m, 9 September 1992, Till 9143 ( SEL!) ; Middlesex, Balcarces 1 mile S of Ritchies along the road to Cumberland , 860 m, 9 September 1992, Till 9144 (SEL!, WU!). Manchester Parish: Bath to Somerset , 640 m, 23 December 1968, Adams 13112 ( UCWI!) ; Bellefield to Banana Ground, 790 m, Adams 24192 ( UCWI!) ; Marshalls Pen NW of Mandeville, 654 m, 18º3’33.1” N, 77º31’53.4” W, 23 June 2012, Aguirre-Santoro et al. 1804 (IJ!, NY!, US!) ; road between Somerset and Bath, Roadside banks of limestone, 722 m, 18º6’18.9” N, 77º34’1.3” W, 23 June 2012, Aguirre-Santoro et al. 1806 ( IJ!) ; Aguirre-Santoro et al. 1807 ( IJ!) ; Mandeville and vicinity, 24–25 September 1907, Britton 1673 ( NY!) ; Mandeville to Brown’s Tower , 3–7 September 1908, Britton 3117 ( NY!) ; Britton 3251 ( NY!) ; Britton 3252 ( NY!) ; Spaldings, Knox College , 610 m, 15 July 1949, Dignum s.n. (IJ!, US!) ; Rio Minho Valley , 365 m, 3 March 1910, Harris 10884 (NY!, UCWI!) ; Top Hill , 840 m, 22 September 1965, Morley 267 ( UCWI!) ; Morley 268 ( UCWI!) ; 0.5 miles S. Rose Hill Village, 760 m, 23 October 1965, Morley 279 ( UCWI!) ; no date, Morley s.n. ( UCWI!) ; summit of Herons Hill , 915–944 m, 3 March 1952, Proctor 6278 ( IJ!) ; 0.5 miles due north of Retford Pen, northwest of Mandeville , 730 m, 25 February 1956, Proctor 11582 ( IJ!) ; Marshalls Pen, 2.25 miles due northwest of Mandeville , 700 m, 12 September 1963, Proctor 24007 (IJ!, US!) ; near Rudds Corner , 790 m, 12 September 1963, Proctor 24008 ( IJ!) ; Marshalls Pen c. 2.25 miles due northwest of Mandeville , 640 m, 31 August 1979, Proctor 32287 ( IJ!) ; Walderston , 16 September 1966, Read 1707 (IJ!, US!) ; between Marshall’s Pen & Somerset , 16 April 1959, Robertson 4129 ( UCWI!) ; Marshalls Pen , 455 m, 7 December 1958, Robertson 5402 ( UCWI!) ; east of Williamsfield, 427–457 m, 23 January 1958, Yuncker 18051 ( NY!). St. Elizabeth Parish: 1. mile N of Redgate, on the road to Ipswich , 145 m, 18º09’91” N, 77º49’67” W, 19 July 1997, Acevedo-Rodriguez 9518 ( US!) ; 1 m. N. of Four Paths , 215 m, 13 April 1970, Adams 13226 ( UCWI!) ; 1.5 m. N. of Four Paths , 200 m, 13 April 1970, Adams 13228 ( UCWI!) ; road between Ginger hill and Four Paths. Roadside banks of limestone, 355 m, 18º12’23.8” N, 77º51’31.4” W, 25 June 2012, Aguirre-Santoro et al. 1811 ( IJ!) ; 1 mile south of Accompong , 365 m, 22 May 1953, Anderson s.n. (IJ!, NY [photo]) ; along road between Four Paths & Ginger Hill, 230 m, 11 September 1963, Proctor 24000 ( IJ!) ; Bideford district, 1.5 miles due south of Malvern , 610 m, 25 January 1964, Proctor 24512 ( IJ!) ; between mileposts 4 & 5, Redgate to Ipswich road, 5 May 1977, Proctor 36827 ( IJ!). St. Elizabeth Parish : About 1/ 2 mile SSW of Ipswich along the road to Redgate , 110 m, 2 September 1992, Till 9125 (SEL!, WU!). St. James Parish: Glencoe district , 1 mile southeast of Stonehenge , 425–625 m, 21 March 1964, Proctor 24701 ( IJ!). Westmoreland Parish: Lenox District , 1 mile north of Hopeton , 365 m, 9 March 1956, Proctor 11716 ( IJ!) .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Geographic distribution of the Caribbean-endemic species of Wittmackia. A. Species occurring in Jamaica and Cuba, and species endemic to the western Caribbean. Star: W. caymanensis, triangle: W. mesoamericana, circle: W. penduliflora. B. Species endemic to Puerto Rico. Star: W. portoricensis, circle: W. antillana. C. Species endemic to Jamaica. Circle: W. laesslei, triangle: W. negrilensis, star: W. polycephala.D. Species endemic to Jamaica. Circle: W. rohan-estyi, triangle: W. spinulosa, star: W. urbaniana. E. Species endemic to Jamaica. Circle: W. fawcettii, triangle: W. jamaicana, star: W. inermis. F. Species endemic to Jamaica. Circle: W. abbreviata, star: W. distans, square: W. eriostachya.

FIGURE 19. Wittmackia urbaniana. A. General habit of the plant. B. Inflorescence. C. Inflorescence branch showing part of the stipe, the spike and one flower. D. Flower nearly wholly concealed by floral bract. E. Sepals in adaxial view. F. Petal and antepetalous stamen. G. Calyx in cross section. H. Ovary in cross section. I. Apical portion of the stamen. J. Petal appendages. K. Fixation of filament to the anther. L. Apical portion of the style and stigma. M. Seed. (A–M: Aguirre-Santoro 1804. Photos of living specimens: J. Aguirre-Santoro).