Tillandsia machupicchuensis Gouda & Julio Ochoa, 2012

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

Tillandsia machupicchuensis Gouda & Julio Ochoa sp. nov. ( Fig. 1–3 )

This new species is characterized by its large green saxicolous rosettes, a very thick curved peduncle bearing a more or less horizontal bright red cylindrical twice-branched inflorescence of about 20 short spreading branches.

Type:— PERU. Dept. Cusco: Prov. Urubamba, Distr. Machupicchu, S . of Aguas Calientes, saxicolous on steap rocky face near Rio Urubamba , Elevation 2079 m, S 13 ˚09.532, W 72 ˚ 31.430, very abundant, 31 July 2010, Fernandez, R . et al. 3574 (holotype USM, isotype L) .

Plant acaulescent, ca. 50 cm tall, flowering not taller, subdense, with 20–30 leaves, forming a broadly funnelform rosette, green or red. Leaves thin coriaceous, 55 cm long, much shorter than the inflorescence. Sheaths ample, slightly contracted into the blades, thin coriaceous, elliptic, not or slightly inflated, 13 × 8 cm, with membranaceous margins, densely lepidote (less toward the base) on both sides, with closely appressed, dark centred scales, pale brown. Blades slightly arching at the base, somewhat stiffly thin coriaceous, channelled, linear-lanceolate or ligulate, 42 × 5.5 cm, attenuate, apiculate, sparsely lepidote (less lepidote adaxially), with closely appressed, transparent scales, green or reddish.

Inflorescence twice-branched, of ca. 20 primary branches, (including peduncle) 110 cm long; fertile part elongate, lax, ca. 60 × 20 cm, red. Peduncle wholly covered by bracts, recurved, 50 cm long, 10 mm in diameter, glabrous. Peduncle-bracts erect, the lower ones foliaceous, densely imbricate, chartaceous, the upper lanceolate, attenuately acute or apiculate, much exceeding the internodes, minutely lepidote, red or with greenish blade. Axis wholly exposed, stout, nearly straight, bluntly angled, glabrous, brightly red. Primarybracts like the upper peduncle bracts and soon becoming much smaller, spreading with the branches, remote, stiff chartaceous, narrowly ovate, apiculate, much exceeding the stipe of the branches (mostly about the length of its axis), sparsely lepidote toward apex and inside, red or the lower with greenish blade. Stipe of the primary branches short, 1–2 cm long, not bracteate or rarely with one or some sterile bracts at distal end, spreading to a right angle with the axis to recurving, stout, glabrous, red. Spikes spreading and often slightly decurved, distichously, densely, (3–)6–10-flowered, complanate, lanceolate, acute or obtuse, (2.0–)3.5–5.5 × 1.2–1.4 cm, with a few sterile bracts at apex (and base). Rachis partly exposed (nearly wholly when dry), stout, slightly flexuous, excavated next the flowers (alate) 4-carinate, glabrous. Floral-bracts suberect, densely imbricate, stiff-chartaceous, prominently nerved, bicarinate at the base and carinate toward apex, triangular ovate, with broad hyalin margins, fleshy apiculate, incurved toward the apex, 1.2–1.5 × 0.8–1.0 cm, twice as long as, to three times as long as the internodes, much exceeding the sepals, glabrous outside punctulatelepidote of brown centred scales inside, bright red.

Flowers contiguous, 2 cm long, subsessile. Pedicel obcuneate, alate bicarinate, 2 mm long and 2 mm in diameter. Sepals subcoriaceous, slightly nerved, elliptic, broadly rounded or apiculate, incurved toward the apex, 1.0 × 0.6 cm, with broad hyaline margins, subdensely lepidote of brown centered scales, only inside, red, adaxial ones distinctly carinate, highly connate for 6 mm (abaxial one only 1 mm connate). Petals with the apex of the blade spreading to recurving, ligulate, 1.70 × 0.25 cm, rounded, purplish blue. Stamens exceeding the pistil, included. Filaments flaccid, all equal in length, 1.2 cm long. Anthers, 3 mm long basifixed, sagittate with relative large free lobes at the base, apiculate. Pistil exceeded by the stamens 13 mm long. Ovary ovoid, 4 mm long, tapering into the style. Style slender. Stigmas erect, short.

Distribution and habitat:—Saxicolous on steep rocky face near Rio Urubamba, Cusco, Peru at an estimated elevation of 2070–2300 m.

Etymology:—This Tillandsia is named after the Inca ruins known as Machu Picchu.

Observations:—This new species resembles its closest relative Tillandsia tovarensis Mez (1896: 769) that in general forms slightly smaller rosettes with erect and pyramidal paniculate inflorescence (the lower primary branches much longer than the upper ones, the rachis of the primary branches many times longer than the spikes) and grows mainly as an epiphyte. T. machupicchensis has the inflorescence bent over (away from the rocky face) by a thicker and the strongly curved peduncle and a more or less horizontal cylindrical inflorescence (all branches about the same length and the rachis of the primary branches shorter or about the length of the spikes) and is only observed saxicolous on steep rocky face. The floral bracts tend to be slightly taller (up to 15 × 10 mm) bicarinate at base and distinctly carinate at apex (vs. about 12 × 8 mm and ecarinate in T. tovarensis ); adaxial sepals are distinctly carinate and highly connate for 6 mm apex (vs. ecarinate and short connate in T. tovarensis ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Drawing of the flower parts of the type specimen of Tillandsia machupicchuensis A. Floral bract. B. Sepals (abaxial one on the left). C. Petal. D. Stamen E. Pistil.

FIGURE 2. Tillandsia machupicchuensis A. Habit. B. Detail of part of the inflorescence and flowers.

FIGURE 3. Rocky mountain face with a mix of green and red rosettes of Tillandsia machupicchuensis A. Overview. B. Some of the rosettes attached to the steep wall.