Guzmania inkaterrae Gouda & C. Soto, 2012

Gouda, Eric J., 2012, Two new species in Tillandsioideae (Bromeliaceae) of Machu Picchu, Peru, Phytotaxa 46 (1), pp. 10-18 : 14-15

Guzmania inkaterrae Gouda & C. Soto sp. nov. ( Fig. 4–6 )

This new species is characterized by its large size (ca. 130 cm), its elongate peduncle and dense globose to ovoid inflorescence, that is in general not very colourful, with relatively large floral bracts (3.5 × 2.0 cm), flowers (4.5 cm) and sepals (27 × 9.5–11.0 mm).

Type:— PERU. Dept. Cusco: Prov. Urubamba, Distr. Machupicchu, S . of Aguas Calientes, Rio Urubamba , elevation 2079 m, S 13 ˚09.532, W 72 ˚31.430. Epiphyte on stem of a small tree near the river, 31 July 2010, Fernandez, R . et al. 3577 (holotype USM, isotype L) .

Plant acaulescent, flowering ca. 130 cm tall, subdense, with ca. 40 leaves, forming a open rosette, green. Leaves chartaceous, ca. 110 cm long, much shorter than the inflorescence. Sheaths ample, merging into the blades, chartaceous, narrowly ovate, not inflated, 28 × 9 cm, with membranaceous margins, densely lepidote on both sides but less toward distal end, with closely appressed small, brown scales, pale brown to dark brown toward the base abaxially. Blades arching, somewhat stiffly, chartaceous, channelled especially in lower part, linear, ca. 80 x 4.5 cm, attenuate, very narrowly acute, minutely lepidote, with appressed, transparent scales, less lepidote adaxially (subglabrous), green. Inflorescence (including peduncle) 130 cm long, sub-digitately compound, of about 20 branches; fertile part very dense, 9 × 8 cm, globose to ovoid, green with brown or slightly reddish. Peduncle elongate, wholly covered by bracts, erect, 120 cm long, 10 mm in diameter, glabrous, brown. Peduncle-bracts erect, the lower ones foliaceous, densely imbricate, chartaceous, the upper ones 7 × 3.5 cm, elliptic and several clasping the fertile part of the inflorescence, cuspidate to acuminate (the upper ones), much exceeding the internodes, sparsely lepidote, brown with green and often longitudinal reddish striped and marginate blade or acumen. Axis completely hidden by bracts and branches, stout, straight, about 5 cm long. Primary-bracts like the upper peduncle bracts, divergent with the branches, imbricate, stiff chartaceous, orbicular, apiculate to obtuse, shorter than the axillary branches, glabrescent or minutely lepidote toward the apex, brown with green upper half or margins. Stipe of the branches (spikes) indistinct or very short. Spikes sub-erect, polystichously, very densely, about 10-flowered, ellipsoid, acute, 5 × 2 cm. Rachis hidden, much reduced. Floral-bracts suberect, very densely imbricate, thin coriaceous, even, carinate especially in upper half, oblong-ovate, in lower half with broad hyaline margins, fleshy apiculate to obtuse at apex, strongly incurved from base to apex, 3.5 × 2.0 cm, many times as long as the internodes, much exceeding the sepals, sparsely punctulate lepidote at both surfaces, ochraceous to green toward the apex, often with red or brown margins.

Flowers contiguous, 4.5 cm long, subsessile. Pedicel 3 mm long 7 mm wide, stout, bicarinate, glabrous. Sepals chartaceous, slightly nerved inside, narrowly obovate, slightly asymmetric, obtuse slightly cucullate, incurved, 27 × 9.5–11.0 mm, with broad hyaline margins and apex, sub-evenly short connate for 2.0– 3.5 mm, sparsely to subdensely punctulate lepidote, less lepidote outside, green, posterior ones distinct from the anterior ones, carinate. Petals not fleshy, with divergent to recurving blade, spatulate, 42 × 9 mm (the claw 6 mm wide), with obovate (15 × 9 mm) blade, for 25 mm connate to each other and adnate to the filaments, forming a tube (about equalling or exceeding the sepals), obtuse and slightly cucullate, white. Stamens shorter than the pistil, exerted (caused by spreading of the petal-blades). Filaments lower part thin, all equal in length, 3.5 cm long, highly adnate to the petals, free part s-curved and fleshy. Anthers dorsifixed, at about one forth from base, linear-sagittate, with free lobes at base and apex, 8 × 2 mm. Pistil 4 cm long exceeding the stamens. Ovary ovoid, 6 × 3.5 mm, tapering (from near base) into the style. Style slender, elongate and many times as long as the ovary. Stigmas lobed weekly conduplicate and strongly fringled.

Distribution and habitat:—Epiphytic on trees in the interior of the mountain forest along the Rio Urubamba, Cusco, Peru at an elevation of about 2070 m.

Etimology:—This Guzmania is named in honour of the Inkaterra organisation of Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel, its owner José Koechlin and the head of the gardens Carmen Soto, who are very enthusiastic about the native plants, the biodiversity and the environment of that area.

Observations:—This new species resembles Guzmania morreniana Mez (1896: 932) and Guzmania tenuifolia (H.Luther) Betancur & Salinas (2003: 23) , but differs from them by its larger size and flower parts. The plant is flowering about 130 cm tall (vs. 60 cm in G. tenuifolia and 100 cm in G. morreniana ), its floral bracts are 3.5 cm long (vs. 2 cm in G. tenuifolia and 2.5 cm in G. morreniana ), its sepals are 27 mm long (vs. 16 mm in G. tenuifolia and 20 mm in G. morreniana ). It shares the greenish coloration of the inflorescence with G. tenuifolia that is red in G. morreniana as shown in the plate of its basionym Schlumbergera morreniana (hort. Linden) Morren (1883: 46). As far as I know, no photographs of this species are known.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Drawing of the flower parts of the type specimen of Guzmania inkaterrae A. Floral bract. B. Sepals (abaxial one on the right). C. Petals (the left one separated). D. Stamen E. Pistil.

FIGURE 5. Guzmania inkaterrae in habitat A. Epiphytic on small trees in the mountain forest. B. Inflorescence with flowers. C. Plant on a branch, fallen on the forest floor.

FIGURE 6. Fertile part of the inflorescence of Guzmania inkaterrae showing some colour variation within the species. More often the inflorescence is more greenish.