Hechtia jaliscana L.B. Sm., Phytologia

Ramírez-Morillo, Ivón, Carrillo-Reyes, Pablo, Tapia-Muñoz, José Luis & Ramírez-Díaz, Claudia J., 2021, In disentangling two species limits of Hechtia (Bromeliaceae: Hechtioideae) from Sierra Madre Occidental, a new species is discovered from Durango, Mexico, Phytotaxa 523 (1), pp. 55-72 : 58-59

Hechtia jaliscana L.B. Sm., Phytologia 10(6): 482, t. 1, f. 10. 1964.

TYPE:— MEXICO: Jalisco: [Amatitán Municipality], below presa de Santa Rosa , in the barranca of the río Grande, north of Amatitán , 750–800 m, Sep 1, 1960, McVaugh 18530 fruits (holotype, MICH !; isotype, US!)) .

EPITYPE (here designated):— MEXICO: Jalisco: Municipio San Cristóbal de la Barranca, ca. rancho Jacalitos , a 1 km al SE de Santa Cruz de Atístique, bosque tropical caducifolio con Pilosocereus , Stenocereus queretaroensis , Ceiba sp. , Bursera sp. , Pithecellobium dulce , 21°06’37.9’’N, 103°26´34.1’’W, 920 m, originally collected by I. Ramírez, P. Carrillo-Reyes, W. Cetzal & J.L. Tapia, May 2015; flowering in Mérida, Yucatán, May 2018, I. Ramírez 2432 ♂ ( CICY!).

Plants lithophytic, 1.3–1.4 m height when blooming rosettes cespitose, generally circular, 30–40 cm tall, 60–70 cm in diameter, forming dense small clusters of 2–5 rosettes. Leaves 25–34 in number, reflexed; sheath broadly ovate, 3.5–4 × 5–6.8 cm, light brown, margins entire at the base, distally serrate, lustrous and glabrous at the base, lepidote distally on both surfaces; blade narrowly triangular, acuminate to long attenuate, 50–75 × 3–3.5 cm, green, reddish toward the margin when sun exposed, glabrous and shiny above, and white lepidote below; spines antrorse or divaricate, triangular, ca. 3 mm long, 8–30 mm apart, green to light brown. Inflorescence central, erect, emerging from a fully grown rosette (strict sympodium growth pattern, type SPP sensu Ramírez-Morillo et al. 2014).

Staminate inflorescence a once-divided panicle, cylindrical in general shape, erect to slightly curved, 1.3–1.4 m long; peduncle terete, green, sparsely white lepidote, 40–50 cm long, 8–10 mm in diameter at the base, about as long as rosette height but shorter than rachis of the inflorescence; internodes 2.5–3.0 cm long; peduncle bracts triangular, 10–13 × 0.5–1.0 cm, margins of its sheath sparsely spiny, the blade long attenuate, acute, entire, multinerved, reddish at the base, already brownish and dry at anthesis, densely white lepidote on both surfaces, usually twice as long as internodes; rachis (main axis) in a zig-zag fashion, 90–100 cm long, 8–10 mm in diameter at the base, terete, green with brown stripes, the surface sparsely white lepidote, the internodes 5–5.5 cm long; primary bracts triangular, attenuate, apex ending in a spine, 2.5–3 × 0.6–0.7 cm, margins sparsely spiny, brownish, densely white lepidote abaxially, almost glabrous adaxially, multi-nerved, much shorter than the branches; branches ca. 22 in number, forming an angle of 70–90° relative to the rachis, 9–16 cm long, 2–2.5 cm in diameter, (37–)78–90 flowered; rachis (branch) terete, longitudinally sulcate, 5–6 mm in diameter, densely white lepidote, stipe nearly none; floral bracts triangular, short-acuminate, concave, 6–9 × 4 mm, green basally, apex light brown, sparsely white lepidote only on the basal abaxial surface, margins hyaline, erose, 7-nerved, mid nerved and apiculus conspicuous on abaxial surface, dark brown, equaling the sepals in anthesis. Flowers sessile, verticillate, ca. 1 cm long, 4–5 mm in diameter at anthesis, fragrant (sweet smell) during the morning; pedicel (a constriction of the floral receptacle) obconic, 0.5 –1.0 mm long, 0.8–1 mm in diameter, light brown, sparsely lepidote; sepals oblong, acute, cucullate, 4–6 × 4 mm, green at the base, brownish at the apex, entire or slightly serrate at the apex, glabrous on both sides, or with some sparse trichomes on the basal abaxial surface, multi-nerved; petals oblong, rounded, cucullate, 5.5–6 × 4 mm, white, glabrous, multi-nerved, petal apices convergent in anthesis and stamen filaments emerging between them; filaments triangular, flattened, 6–9 mm long, 5 mm wide, white; anthers narrowly oblong, 1.5–3 mm long, dorsifixed, green, pollen yellow; pistillode reduced, 1.5–2.5 mm long, ca. 2 mm in diameter, green, stigmatic lobes much reduced.

Pistillate inflorescences a once-divided panicle, in general shape cylindrical, erect, 1–1.4 m long; peduncle terete, ca. 66 cm long, 1–1.4 cm in diameter at the base, longer than the rosette; internodes 2–3.5 cm long; peduncle bracts triangular, long attenuate, acute, 10–13 × 0.5–1.5 cm, multi-nerved, reddish at the base, brownish and dry even when inflorescence is in anthesis, densely white lepidote on both surfaces; margins of its sheath sparsely spiny, the blade entire; rachis (main axis) ca. 70 cm long, ca. 0.8–1 cm in diameter at the base, terete; internodes 1.5–3.5 cm long; primary bracts narrow-triangular, acuminate, 2.5–4 × 0.7–0.9 cm, brown-reddish when fresh, brown when dry, sparsely lepidote abaxially, glabrous adaxially, densely serrate, multi-nerved, much shorter than the branches; branches 20–22 in number, in an angle of ca. 45° with the rachis, 13–25 cm long, 20–34 flowered; rachis (branch) with stipe 10–12 mm long, terete, channeled, glabrous; floral bracts lanceolate-ovate, acuminate, 7–9 mm long, 3.5–5.5 mm wide, brown, glabrous except the sparsely white lepidote base adaxially, brown, margin minutely denticulate, about equaling the sepals. Flowers sessile, fragrant (sweet smell) during the morning, 13–15 mm long, 4.5–5.5 mm in diameter at anthesis; sepals broadly ovate, acute, 3.3–4 × 3.3–3.6 mm, glabrous on both sides, except some sparsely trichomes on the basal abaxial surface, greenish basally, apically brown, multi-nerved; petals triangular to ovate, acute, 3.5–4.3 × 1.5–2.1 mm, glabrous on both surfaces, with a few minute trichomes on basal abaxial surface, white, multi-nerved, during anthesis adnate to the ovary and apical portion erect; staminodes six in number, narrowly triangular, laminar, 2–2.4 mm long, ca. 0.5 mm at the base; ovary oblongoid, 3.9–4.9 mm long, 1.8–2 mm in diameter, glabrous, greenish, stigmatic lobes recurved, 1.3–1.7 mm long, white. Fruits narrowly ovoid, 11–15 mm long, 6–8 mm in diameter, base shrinks and resembles a pedicel, glabrous, brown when dry; seeds fusiform, 5.5–7.5 mm long, 0.8–1.4 mm in diameter, brown, reticulate, caudate, wings 2–3.5 mm long, brown reddish.

Additional specimens examined: — MEXICO. Jalisco: Municipio Amatitán, barranca de Santa Rita , 1000 m, July 13, 1969, L.M. Villarreal de Puga 3423♂ ( GUADA!, IBUG!); Municipio San Cristóbal de la Barranca, 3 km al sur de Techaluta , 780 m, July 25, 1995, P. Carrillo-Reyes & R. Ramírez-Delgadillo 22 ♂ ( IBUG!, IEB!); arroyo El Tamarindo , 3.5 km al NNO de San Cristóbal de la Barranca, por el Río Cuixtla, 21°04’00”N, 103°25’00”W, 880 m, February 26, 2000, P. Carrillo-Reyes & R. Bello 1136 ♂ ( IBUG!, UAMIZ!); Santa Cruz de Enmedio , 0.5 km al NNO de Santa Cruz de Atístique y 8.5 km en línea recta al NNO de San Cristóbal de la Barranca, 21°07’08”N, 103°27’10”W, 940 m, March 25, 2013, P. Carrillo-Reyes & A. Castro-Castro 6937♂ ( IBUG!); La Mesa de los Caballos , ca. 8 km al NW de San Cristóbal de la Barranca, 1565 m, July 17, 2013, P. Carrillo-Reyes et al. 7001 ♀ ( CICY!, IBUG!); 0.5 km al N de Ixcamilpa por el camino a Sta. Cruz , 21°06’07”N, 103°26’27”W, 910 m, September 9, 2014, P. Carrillo-Reyes et al. 7506 ♀ ( CICY!, IBUG!); 1 km en línea recta al N de El Escalón , 21°00’37”N, 103°25’24”W, 1050 m, March 26, 2015, P. Carrillo-Reyes & C.J. Ramírez-Díaz 7714 ♀ ( IBUG!); 0.5 km en línea recta al N de El Escalón , km 30 carretera Guadalajara-Colotlán , 1040 m, January 22, 2016, P. Carrillo-Reyes et al. 8221♀ ( IBUG!); Municipio Zapopan, cerca de la ranchería La Coronilla del Ocote , llegando por Tesistán y Santa Lucía, 20°56’07”N, 103°36’03”W, 1260 m, June 19, 2000, J.A. Lomelí et al. 3265 fruits ( IBUG!, UAMIZ!). Nayarit: Municipio Amatlán de Cañas, Cerca de Los Barrenitos , ca. 2 km en línea recta al NE de Amatlán de Cañas, 20°49’29”N, 104°23’29”W, 805 m, March 28, 2018, P. Carrillo-Reyes & D. Cabrera-Toledo 8880-A ♀ ( IBUG!); 8880-B ♂ ( IBUG!). Zacatecas: Municipio Trinidad García de la Cadena, El Abra , 5 km en línea recta al SW de García de la Cadena, 21°10’03”N, 103°29’22”W, 1760 m, August 24, 2014, P. Carrillo-Reyes et al. 7470 fruits ( CICY!, IBUG!) .

Phenology:—Staminate plants have been collected in January, March and July; female flowers are documented during January-March and July-September, while fruits have been collected during June-August.

Distribution and habitat:— Hechtia jaliscana has been collected in the municipality of Amatlán de Cañas, in the State of Nayarit, municipalities of Amatitán, San Cristóbal de la Barranca, and Zapopan in the State of Jalisco, and municipality of Trinidad García de la Cadena, in Zacatecas, Mexico. Most of the localities are in the basin of the Santiago River, except for those of Amatlán de Cañas, Nayarit, which is in the Ameca river basin, all of them are situated in the Pacific Lowlands biogeographic province according to Morrone et al. (2017), in the low elevation valleys of the southern portion of the Sierra Madre Occidental province ( Figure 1 ). Individuals of this species grow as lithophytes, mostly in northern exposure rocky slopes, inside tropical deciduous forest vegetation ( Rzedowski 1978), at elevations between 750–1750 m, frequently accompanied by individuals of Bursera fagaroides (Kunth) Engler , Casearia corymbosa Kunth , Ceiba aesculifolia (Kunth) Britten & Baker f., Celtis caudata Planch. , Haematoxylum brasiletto H. Karst. , Opuntia fuliginosa Griffiths , Pachycereus pecten-aboriginum Britton & Rose , Pseudobombax palmeri (S. Watson) Dugand , Stenocereus queretaroensis (F.A.C. Weber) Buxb. In some localities, H. jaliscana grows in pine-oak forest dominated by Quercus resinosa Liebm. , Q. praineana Trel. , and Pinus oocarpa Scheid. , inhabiting rocky slopes alongside species as Agave guadalajarana Trel. , A. rzedowskiana P. Carrillo, Vega & R. Delgad. , A. schidigera Lem. , Mammillaria scrippsiana (Britton & Rose) Orcutt , species of the genera Muhlenbergia Schreb. , Opuntia Mill. , and Selaginella P. Beauv. ( Figure 2 ).

Discussion:— Hechtia jaliscana ( Figures 2 and 3 ) is recognized by the cespitose rosettes, thick succulent leaves, glabrous and shiny above, and white lepidote below, armed with coarse spines. The inflorescence, a once-divided panicle in both sexes ( Figure 3A ), erect to slightly pending, is produced by young, newly formed rosettes. Flowers are fragrant during morning hours, with a sweet scent that attract bees ( Figure 3B ). The rachis of the pistillate inflorescence is sinuose to almost fractiflex ( Figure 2A ) while it is slightly sinuose in staminate inflorescences ( Figure 2B ), with branches in almost 90° angle with the rachis (main axis); flowers open, but the petal apices converge and form a closed corolla with the stamens protruding in between ( Figure 3D, F ), while petals on female flowers remain adnate to the ovary with the three stigmatic lobes exerted ( Figure 3E ). The rachis of pistillate branches is longitudinally sulcate ( Figure 3G ) with nearly sessile flowers, with a pedicel (rather the floral receptacle that shrinks and looks like a pedicel) when in fruit ( Figure 3H ), a common phenomenon in species of Hechtia .

IUCN Conservation assessment: —The EOO (1434 km 2) and AOO (44 km 2) calculated from 13 collections corresponding to 12 localities with the GeoCAT ( Bachman et al. 2011), suggest that H. jaliscana is an Endangered (EN) species, according to the IUCN B set of criteria.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Geographical distribution of Hechtia jaliscana, H. marthae and H. subalata. Biogeographical provinces are depicted in different colors; their limits are based on Morrone et al. (2017).

FIGURE 2. Hechtia jaliscana in habitat. A. Structure of the rachis in the infructescence. B. Details of the structure of the staminate inflorescence at anthesis. C. Rosettes with male flowers in habitat. D. Individuals in habitat of tropical dry forests. (Credits: A, C. Ivón Ramírez-Morillo. B, D. Claudia Ramírez-Díaz).

FIGURE 3. Hechtia jaliscana. A. General structure of a male individual in bloom. B. Bee visiting fragrant male flowers. C. Origin of the inflorescence in a female plant. D. Details of male flowers. E. Details of female flowers. F. Branch with male flowers. G. Branch with female flowers. H. Preserved ripe fruits.(Credits:A, D, F. Claudia Ramírez-Díaz. B, C. Ivón Ramírez-Morillo.E, G. Pablo Carrillo-Reyes. H. Fruit features taken from P. Carrillo-Reyes & D. Cabrera-Toledo 8880-A♀ (IBUG)).