Wittmackia eriostachya (Mez) Aguirre-Santoro (2017: 633)

Aguirre-Santoro, Julián, 2018, Taxonomic revision of the Caribbean-endemic species of Wittmackia (Bromeliaceae), Phytotaxa 336 (2), pp. 101-147 : 117-119

5. Wittmackia eriostachya (Mez) Aguirre-Santoro (2017: 633) . Basionym: Hohenbergia eriostachya Mez in Urban (1900: 255). TYPE:— JAMAICA. Portland Parish: between Lancaster and Moody’s Gap, 700 m, 8 March 1895, W.H. Harris 5566 (holotype B!, isotypes IJ!, NY [Fragment attached to Britton 3419]!, UCWI!)

Plant epiphytic, cespitose; rosette broad. Leaves 68.8–92 cm long, coriaceous; sheaths conspicuous, elliptical, 18–24 × 10–12.5 cm, green to pale brown, lepidote on both surfaces, serrulate, occasionally entire; blades lingulate, 48–72 cm long, 8.4–9.2 cm wide at the base, 7.2–9.3 cm wide in the middle, cinereous-green, smooth on both surfaces, lepidote on both surfaces, more densely on the abaxial side, apex initially rounded, then ending in a sharp and acuminate mucro, margins serrate, the teeth evenly distributed, triangular to hook-shaped, straight to antrorse, green to castaneous, 1.2–2.2 mm long. Inflorescence erect; peduncle partially concealed by the rosette, stout, rigid, 36.5–45 cm long, 4–9 mm in diameter, green, floccose, central internodes (1–) 4.5–6.1 cm, distal internodes 2.4–6.5 cm; peduncle bracts longer than the internodes, marcescent, membranaceous, nervose, pale brown, the central erect, imbricate, lanceolate, 3.9–4.2 × 1–1.2 cm, floccose abaxially, glabrescent adaxially, entire, apex acuminate, the distal ones erect, imbricate, lanceolate, 3–3.3 × 0.4–0.7 cm, floccose abaxially, glabrescent adaxially, entire, apex acuminate; fertile part of the inflorescence conical, 25.5–38.5 cm long, 6–9.6 cm wide in the middle, 1-divided, branches 20 to 50 in number, rachis straight, green, 24.5–37.5 cm long, 4–4.2 mm in diameter, floccose. Primary bracts similar to the peduncle bracts, gradually diminishing in size towards the apex of the inflorescence, forming an angle of 45º–120º with the rachis, marcescent, membranaceous, nervose, shorter than the branches; the basal ones lanceolate, 2.5–3.2 × 0.4–0.5 cm, pale brown, floccose abaxially, glabrescent adaxially, entire, apex acuminate; the apical ones triangular, 0.6–1.1 × 0.2–0.3 cm, pale brown, floccose on both surfaces, entire, apex acuminate. Spikes globose to cylindrical, 2.3–2.6 cm, 1–1.7 cm wide in the middle; stipes exposed, 17–27 mm long, 1.5–3 mm in diameter, terete, floccose, 10–16 flowered; rachis 2.3–2.6 cm long. Floral bracts partially enfolding the ovaries, imbricate, suberect, concave, coriaceous, orbicular to broadly ovate, 7.3–9.1 × 9.1–13 mm, dark castaneous, nervose, ecarinate, brown-tomentose-lepidote abaxially, glabrescent adaxially, entire, apex initially rounded to truncate, then ending in a sharp and acuminate mucro of 0.8–1.4 mm long. Flowers suberect, 7.3–9.1 mm long. Calyx dorsiventrally compressed; sepals coriaceous, asymmetrical, 3.6–5.4 mm long, 2.2 mm wide at the base, the unwinged side 0.9 mm wide, the winged side 2.1 mm wide, stramineous, nervose, brown-tomentose-lepidote, entire, mucronate, mucro 0.3–1 mm long. Corolla tubular, apically spreading; petals 9.5 × 1.3 mm, white, glabrous, entire, apex acute; petal appendages absent. Stamens included; filaments 6.7 mm long, 0.2 mm in diameter; anthers 2.3 × 0.5 mm. Ovary ovoid, dorsiventrally compressed, 2.4–3.5 mm long, 5.4–5.7 mm in diameter, light green, brown-tomentose-lepidote; epigynous tube 0.2–0.8 mm long. Style 9 mm long. Fruits ovoid, dorsiventrally compressed ( Fig. 7 ).

Etymology:— The specific epithet comes from the Greek erion (=wool) and stachys (=spike). It probably refers to the characteristic brown-tomentose-lepidote indument present in floral bracts and flowers.

Distribution, habitat, and phenology:— Wittmackia eriostachya is endemic to the Blue and John Crow Mountains in eastern Jamaica at 300–1250 m elevation ( Fig. 2 ). It grows as epiphyte in moist montane forest, at the edges of forests. Wittmackia eriostachya occurs sympatrically with W. penduliflora and at the edge of the distribution of W. fawcetii and W. polycephala . Collected in flower in September.

Conservation status:— Wittmackia eriostachya is categorized here as Vulnerable (VU B1ab(iii); IUCN 2001) because it has an extent of occurrence of about 600 km 2, has been collected in at least six localities, and grows strictly in medium-high elevations of the protected Blue and Joh Crow Mountains of Jamaica. Despite the protected status of this area, the expansion of crops and recent colonization of invasive species represent potential threats for W. eriostachya .

Taxonomic comments and affinities:— Wittmackia eriostachya is a very distinctive species that can be recognized from other species of Wittmackia by its stipitate spikes bearing floral bracts and flowers covered with a characteristic brown-tomentose-lepidote indument. This type of indument is also present in W. polycephala but this species has always blade teeth of 0.3–1 mm long (vs. 1.2–2.2 mm long); primary bracts longer than the spikes (vs. shorter), and sessile spikes.

Additional specimens examined:— JAMAICA. Portland Parish: Blue Mountains, Hardwar Gap, Hollywell Park , shelter trail, 1231 m, 18º5’5.6”N, 76º43’30.1”W, 20 June 2012, Aguirre-Santoro et al. 1801 (IJ!, NY!, US!) ; upper Swift River , study site of ecological survey, Blue Mt. Multipurpose project near Mossman’s peak, 850 m, 28 September 1983, Bretting J-258 ( IJ!) ; vicinity of Cinchona , slopes of John Crow peak, 2–10 September 1906, Britton 291 ( NY!) ; John Crow Mountains , eastern slopes, 520 m, 9–11 March 1909, Britton 4142 ( NY!) ; Proctor’s Pool , 730 m, duQuesnay 351 ( UCWI!) ; John Crow mountains, 1.5 miles southwest of Ecclesdown , 450 m, 21 March 1951, Proctor 5615 ( IJ!) ; upper slope of Haystack Mountain , above Balcarres P.O., 840–1065 m, 11 June 1953, Proctor 8086 ( IJ!) ; 1/ 2 mile north of Hardwar Gap , above waterfall, 1190 m, 1 September 1954, Proctor et al. 9342 ( IJ!) ; northwest slope of Joe Hill , 305–685 m, 20 April 1955, Proctor 10123 ( IJ!) ; St. Andrew Parish: vicinity of Moody’s Gap . Tweedside to Moody’s gap, 10 September 1908, Britton 3419 (NY!, US!). St. Thomas Parish : Crest of Gossamer Peak , 800–900 m, 16 June 1926, Maxon 9271 ( NY!) ; Big Level District, southeast end of the John Crow Mountains , 460–610 m, 16 March 1956, Proctor 11790 ( 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 7. Wittmackia eriostachya. A. General habit of the plant forming cespitose colonies. B. Solitary plant. C. Inflorescence. D. Inflorescence branch showing the stipe and spike. E. Spike of the infructescence. F. Rehydrated flower. G. Sepals. H. Calyx in cross section. I. Petal. J. Apical portion of the stamen. K. Seeds. (A–E, G–H and K: Aguirre-Santoro 1801; F, I–J: Britton 3419. Photos of living specimens: J. Aguirre-Santoro).