Wittmackia rohan-estyi (Proctor, Aguirre-Santoro & K.Campbell) Aguirre-Santoro (2017: 638)

Aguirre-Santoro, Julián, 2018, Taxonomic revision of the Caribbean-endemic species of Wittmackia (Bromeliaceae), Phytotaxa 336 (2), pp. 101-147 : 137-139

15. Wittmackia rohan-estyi (Proctor, Aguirre-Santoro & K.Campbell) Aguirre-Santoro (2017: 638) . Basionym: Hohenbergia rohan-estyi Proctor, Aguirre-Santoro & Campbell in Aguirre-Santoro et al. (2016a: 134). TYPE:— JAMAICA. Hanover Parish: road between Askenish and Dolphin Head, towards east side of the Dolphin Head mountains, 305 m, 18º22’43.6” N, 78º9’7.6” W, 3 July 2012, J. Aguirre-Santoro, K. Campbell & R. Esty 1813 (holotype IJ!, isotypes NY!, US!)

Plant epiphytic, cespitose, 150 cm tall; rosette broad. Leaves 93–121 cm long, coriaceous; sheaths conspicuous, oblong to elliptical, 15–26 × 8.5–17 cm, white to pale brown, lepidote on both surfaces, serrulate; blades lingulate, 73– 94 cm long, 8.5–13.5 cm wide at the base, 8–11.5 cm wide in the middle, green, smooth, lepidote abaxially, glabrescent adaxially, apex initially obtuse to rounded, then ending in a sharp and acuminate mucro, margins serrate, the teeth evenly distributed, hook-shaped, irregularly oriented, green to castaneous, 6.3–11 mm long. Inflorescence erect to inclined; peduncle almost completely exposed out of the rosette, stout, rigid, 33–75 cm long, 7–14 mm in diameter, green, floccose, central internodes 2.3–4 cm, distal internodes 1.5–2.2 cm; peduncle bracts longer than the internodes, marcescent, membranaceous, nervose, light green, the central erect, imbricate, lanceolate, 8–12.5 × 1–1.8 cm, sparsely floccose, entire, occasionally serrulate, apex acuminate, the distal ones suberect, imbricate, lanceolate, 9.5–14 × 0.8– 1.6 cm, sparsely floccose, entire, occasionally serrulate, apex attenuate; fertile part of the inflorescence paniculate, conical, 39–78 cm long, 8–17.5 cm wide in the middle, 1-divided, occasionally 2-divided, branches 43 to 52(–83) in number, polystichous, rachis straight, green, 35–64 cm long, 4–8 mm in diameter, floccose to sparsely floccose. Primary bracts similar to the peduncle bracts, gradually diminishing in size towards the apex of the inflorescence, reflexed to descending, marcescent, membranaceous, nervose, longer than the branches; the basal ones lanceolate, 9–13.7(–16) × 0.8–1(–1.7) cm, light green to cream, floccose to glabrescent, entire, apex attenuate; the apical ones lanceolate, 1.1–2.4 × 2.8–3 cm, light green to cream, floccose to glabrescent, entire, apex attenuate. Spikes ovoid to cylindrical, 2.1–5.8 cm long, 1–1.8 cm wide in the middle; stipes exposed, 19–39 mm long, 1.8–3 mm in diameter, terete, floccose to glabrescent, 18–35 flowered; rachis 2.1–5.8 cm long. Floral bracts gradually diminishing in size towards the apex of the spike, partially enfolding the ovaries, imbricate, suberect to forming an angle of 30º–60º with the rachis, slightly concave, coriaceous, ovate, 3.2–8 × 3.6–6.5 mm, green to cream, nervose, ecarinate, sparsely floccose, minutely serrulate, occasionally entire, apex initially acute to obtuse, then ending in a sharp and acuminate mucro of 1.5–5.8 mm long. Flowers forming an angle of 30º–60º with the rachis, 3.2–8 mm long. Calyx dorsiventrally compressed; sepals coriaceous, triangular, asymmetrical, 3.5–4.7 mm long, 2.6–3.6 mm wide at the base, the unwinged side 0.6–1.1 mm wide, the winged side 1.8–2.7 mm wide, green, yellow, or cream, smooth, floccose to glabrescent, entire, apex initially acute, then ending in a sharp and acuminate mucro of 1.1–2.2 mm long. Corolla tubular; petals spatulate, 11.2 × 3 mm, white, glabrous, entire, apex acute; petal appendages two, flanking the antepetalous stamens, originating at 2.5 mm from the petal base. Stamens included; filaments flattened, 7.3 mm long, 0.3 mm in diameter, white; anthers rectangular, 3.1 × 0.7 mm, white, mucronate. Ovary subovoid, dorsiventrally compressed, 3.1 mm long, 4.5 mm in diameter, green, glabrescent to sparsely floccose; epigynous tube 0.3 mm long; ovules more than 30 per ovary, globose. Style longer than the stamens, cylindrical, 11.6 mm long, white; stigma white, 1.3 mm long. Fruits subovoid, dorsiventrally compressed, 9.4–9.8 mm long, 4.8–6 mm in diameter, cream, glabrous. Seeds club-shaped, 2.1 × 0.7 mm, reddish ( Fig. 17 ).

Etymology:— This species was named in honor to Rohan Esty, who made part of the team that collected the type specimen.

Distribution, habitat, and phenology:— Wittmackia rohan-estyi is endemic to western Jamaica at 20–370 m elevation ( Fig. 2 ). It grows in moist forests on limestone formations, especially in the region of the Dolphin Head Mountains. Collected in flower from July to November.

Conservation status:— Wittmackia rohan-estyi is categorized here as Critically Endangered (CR B1ab(iii); IUCN 2001) because it has an extent of occurrence of less than 100 km 2 and only occurs in the Dolphin Head mountains, a protected area surrounded by rapidly growing urban development.

Taxonomic comments and affinities:— Wittmackia rohan-estyi is similar to W. caymanensis , W. laesslei and W. negrilensis because of its sublax inflorescence; basal primary bracts much longer than the branches; acuminate to broadly acute and long-mucronate floral bracts; and long-mucronate sepals. It can be easily separated from W. negrilensis by its much longer stipes (19–39 mm vs. 2–8 mm long) and less numerous flowers per spike (18 to 35 vs. 50 to 60 flowers per spike). Wittmackia rohan-estyi mainly differs from W. caymanensis by its longer stipes (19–39 vs. 6–18 mm long), green corollas (vs. white), and longer and broader petals (11.2 × 3 mm vs. 8–9.5 × 1.2 mm). Finally, W. rohan-estyi differs from W. laesslei by its central peduncle bracts longer than the internodes (vs. shorter); shorter stipes (19–39 mm vs. 40–42 mm long); more numerous flowers per spike (18 to 35 vs. 12 to 18 flowers per spike); and narrower floral bracts (3.6–6.5 mm vs. 7–9.8 mm wide).

Additional specimens examined:— JAMAICA. Hanover Parish: road between Kingsvale and Retirement, western slopes of Dolphin Head , 294 m, 18º22’32.7” N, 78º10’41.9” W, 4 July 2012, Aguirre-Santoro et al. 1816 (IJ!, NY!, US!) ; Below Cabarita River bridge, 0.3 miles north of Flower Hill P.A, 182–213 m, 8 August 1965, Proctor 26595 ( IJ!) ; Retirement Mountain area of Dolphin Head Forest Reserve, 183–366 m, 30 January to 27 February 2001, Proctor 51773 ( IJ!) ; slopes E. of Dolphin Head above Askenish, 275–335 m, 8 December 2001, Proctor 52037 ( IJ!) ; Retirement Mountain area , W side of Dolphin Head Forest Reserve, 183–305 m, 12 November 2006, Proctor 52581 ( IJ!) ; Retirement Mountain area of Dolphin Head Forest Reserve , 183–305 m, 10 January 2007, Proctor 52588 ( IJ!). Westmoreland Parish: 1 mile northwest of Frome, 23 m, 19 November 1955, Proctor 11157 (IJ!, US!) .

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 17. Wittmackia rohan-estyi. A. Inflorescence. B. Infructescence. C. Inflorescence branch showing part of the stipe, spike and flower. D. Stipe and spike of the infructescence. E. Sepals. F. Calyx in cross section. G. Petal and antepetalous stamen. H. Seed. I. Petal appendages. J. Apical portion of the stamen. K. Pollen. L. Apical portion of the style and stigma. (A–L: Aguirre-Santoro 1813. Photos of living specimens: J. Aguirre-Santoro. Figure taken from Aguirre-Santoro et al. 2016a).