Racinaea tillii Manzan. & Gouda, 2010

Manzanares, José M. & Gouda, Eric J., 2010, Four new species of the genus Racinaea (Bromeliaceae) from Ecuador, Phytotaxa 3, pp. 1-18 : 13-14

Racinaea tillii Manzan. & Gouda , sp. nov. ( Figs. 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 )

A Racinaea pelandii , cui affinis, differt lamina 20–22 cm (nec 10–15 cm) longa, inflorescentia 40–60 cm longa et 15 cm lata (nec 15–26 cm longa et 6 cm lata), stipite ramulorum 1.5-2 cm longo (nec 3–4 cm longo), spicis 3–6 cm longis, laxis (nec 1–1.5 cm longis, densis vel sublaxis), bracteis florigeris orbicularibus 0.4 cm longis et latis apice obtuso, mucronato et cucullato (nec transverse late ovatis vel triangularibus, 0.3 cm longis et 0.5 cm latis apice acuto vel obtuso non cucullato), pedicellis 2 mm longis, crassis curvatisque, floribus omnino secundis (nec floribus sessilibus nonnunquam secundis), sepalis apice obtuso in alam unilateralem producto, ecarinato (nec apice subtruncato, carinato).

Type:— ECUADOR: Napo: Quijos, near San Victor, along the road from Papallacta to Baeza, epiphytic on trees in a pasture, 00°22´S, 77°56´´ W, 2700 m, 9 February 2006. W . Till: Iter Aequaorianum IV, Una cum M . Barfuss, M . Bernhard, M . Billensteiner, J . Kronister, E . Mayr, M . Plagg, A . Taurok & B . Wild 21091 (holotype WU, isotype QCNE) .

Plant flowering 40–60 cm tall, rosulate, rosette forming an ovate pseudobulb. Leaves numerous, lepidote, the sheath erect and blades spreading; sheaths conspicuous, 10 cm long, 7.5–8 cm wide, ovate, densely lepidote, coriaceous, inflated, adaxially brown castaneous, abaxially lower part brown and upper part green with circular purple spots; blades 12–20 cm long, 0.5–0.8 cm wide, very narrowly triangular, apex long attenuate, involute, slightly curved to one side, green with circular purple spots, subglabrous, coriaceous. Inflorescence polystichous, fertile part erect, elliptic, 40–50 cm long, 15 cm wide, lax, twice branched of 12–15 branches at a distance of 2–3 cm, with 4–5 spikes in the apex, with brown branches and violet axis, densely cinereous lepidote. Peduncle slightly shorter than the leaves, 15–20 cm long, 0.4 cm in diameter, erect, lepidote; Peduncle bracts the lower ones subfoliaceos, 4–6 cm long, sheath ovate, blade attenuate, exceeding the internodes, the upper ones shorter and not imbricate, erect, green with circular purple spots. Primary bracts spreading, 0.7–1.6 cm long, 0.4–0.7 wide, ovate to oblong, acute or rounded and apiculate, with hyaline margins, exceeded by and sheathing the stipe, papyraceous, nerved, lepidote. Branches with a flat stipe 1,5– 2 cm long; 8–10 cm long, spreading and then ascending, the lowers ones lax, with 3–6 spikes, the upper not branched, axis densely cinereous lepidote. Spikes 3–6 cm long, 0,8 cm wide, brown, spreading, lax, 7–12-flowered 3–4 mm apart, apex with sterile bracts, rachis geniculate and densely cinereous lepidote; stipe 0,5–0,8 cm long, without sterile bracts. Floral bracts 4 mm long, 4 mm wide, broadly obovate, papyraceous, obtuse, mucronate and strongly cucullate when dry, with hyaline margins, erect, shorter than the sepals, carinate, abaxially densely lepidote, brown, exposing the rachis and sepals. Flowers cream, pedicel 2 mm long, thick, curved, all turning downward secund. Sepals 5 mm long, 3 mm wide, obovate, obtuse, asymmetrical with a wing at one side, free, adaxially glabrous, abaxially slightly lepidote, ecarinate, brown. Petals 6 mm long, the blade spreading. Fruits sub-cylindric, secund turning downward.

Distribution and habitat:—in trees bordering a pasture, this area belongs to the cloudy and cool mountain forest on the Amazonian side of the Andes, close to the city of Cuyuja, Napo province, Ecuador, 2461 m.

Etimology:—This Racinaea is named in honor of Walter Till (1956-) a professor of botany at the Fakultätszentrum für Biodiversität, Universität Wien, Austria (WU), our friend and specialist in the Bromeliaceae family, especially the subfamily Tillandsioideae .

Additional specimens examined (paratypes): — ECUADOR: Napo: Quijos, Cuyuja, pasture close to the River Quijos , Quijos , 00°24´34´´S, 78°02´41´´W, 2461 m, 19 November 2005, J. M . Manzanares & E . Gouda 7789 ( QCNE, WU, U); 7790 ( QCNE, WU, U); 7791 ( QCNE, WU, U) .

Observations:— Racinaea tillii is here classified as a close relative to Racinaea penlandii , because of the ovate rosette form of the pseudobulbs, with circular purple spots. A detailed study of the inflorescence showed many differences: the leaf-blades 12–20 cm long (vs. 30 cm long), inflorescence 40–50 cm long and 15 cm wide (vs. 30 cm long, 8 cm wide), spikes 3–6 cm long, lax (vs. 1–1.5 cm long, dense or sub-lax), floral bracts 0.4 cm long, 0.4 cm wide, obovate; apex obtuse, mucronate and cucullate (vs. 0.3 cm long, 0.5 cm wide, very broadly ovate or triangular, apex acute or obtuse, not cucullate), flowers pedicel 2 mm long, thick, curved, all flowers secund (vs. sometimes secund and sessile); sepals ecarinate, apex obtuse with a pronounced wing at one side (vs. carinate and apex subtruncate).

After closely studying the type specimens of Racinaea penlandii var. penlandii and R. penlandii var. pedunculata , we observed that these specimens do not show any secund flowers. In the description of Smith & Downs (1972) we read “flowers subspreading, sometines secund,” this description is probably based on a mixture of characters from R. penladii and R. tillii . Racinaea tillii however always has distinctly pedicellate and secund flowers. We also revisted living material of R. penlandii in the province of Loja and R. penlandii var. pedunculata in the province of Pastaza, and we have not observed any secund flowers in those specimens. Racinaea tillii is also similar to R. guacamayosensis in having secund flowers, but can be easily distinguished by the ovate pseudobulb (vs. not forming a pseudobulb) and the erect slightly spreading blades (vs. arching leaves).

Comment:—In November 2005 we visited the area around Baeza searching for species of Racinaea . We chose the road from Papallacta to Baeza, which parallels the river Quijos. The area near the river was deforested and turned into pastures. There was very little native flora near the road, but you could see native forest on top of the mountains in the distance. The small trees planted as a hedge around the pastures were completely covered in bromeliads. Here we observed Guzmania multiflora André (the inflorescence had red primary and floral bracts with yellow sepals, or, with an inflorescence totally yellow), Racinaea tetrantha (Ruiz & Pav.) M.A.Spencer & L.B.Sm. , Tillandsia biflora Ruiz & Pav. , T. complanata Benth. , T. hirtzii Rauh , T. ionochroma André ex Mez , T. pastensis André (with a spectacular red inflorescence), and Vriesea tequendamae André , just to give an indication on the diversity of Bromeliaceae found in this small area. We spent hours scanning the trees from top to bottom and we were really surprised at the diversity of bromeliads growing here, which at a first glance all looked not very diverse at all. Racinaea tillii is very similar to R. penlandii , especially in habit and leaf shape. The plant forms an ovate pseudobulb with green leaves, spotted with round purple spots, like those on R. penlandii , but by studying them both more carefully, the specimen proved to be an species new to science and is therefore presented here.

Figures

FIGURE 9. Racinaea terrestris Manzan. & Gouda –A. Spike –B. Flower bract. –C. Sepal.

FIGURE 10. Eric Gouda climbing the tree for a better look at the many bromeliads that cover the branches, especially Racinaea tillii Manzan. & Gouda.

FIGURE 11. Specimen of Racinaea tillii Manzan. & Gouda in habitat.

FIGURE 12. Detail of the inflorescence of the type specimen of Racinaea tillii Manzan. & Gouda.