Tillandsia suesilliae Espejo, López-Ferrari et W. Till, a new species from central Mexico

Abstract

The nomenclatural statuses of Tillandsia parryi Baker and T. sueae Ehlers are clarified, and T. suesilliae is described as new. Data relative to the distribution, ecology and phenology of the studied taxa are provided

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Acta Botanica Mexicana 78: 85-95 (2007)
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TILLANDSIA SUESILLIAE ESPEJO, LÓPEZ-FERRARI ET W. TILL,
A NEW SPECIES FROM CENTRAL MEXICO
Adolfo EspEjo sErnA1, AnA rosA lópEz-fErrAri1 And WAltEr till2
1Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-lztapalapa, División de Ciencias
Biológicas y de la Salud, Departamento de Biología, Herbario Metropolitano,
09340 México, D.F.
aes@xanum.uam.mx
2Institut für Botanik der Universität Wien, Rennweg 14, A-1030, Wien, Austria
ABSTRACT
The nomenclatural statuses of Tillandsia parryi Baker and T. sueae Ehlers are
clarified, and T. suesilliae is described as new. Data relative to the distribution, ecology and
phenology of the studied taxa are provided.
Key words: Bromeliaceae, Hidalgo, Mexico, San Luis Potosí, Tillandsia parryi,
Tillandsia sueae.
RESUMEN
Se aclara la aplicación correcta de los nombres Tillandsia parryi Baker y T. sueae
Ehlers y se describe como nueva T. suesilliae. Se aportan datos relativos a la distribución,
ecología y fenología de los taxa estudiados.
Palabras clave: Bromeliaceae, Hidalgo, México, San Luis Potosí, Tillandsia parryi,
Tillandsia sueae.
Tillandsia parryi was described by Baker in 1887, based on material collected
by C. Parry and E. Palmer (# 873) in the state of San Luis Potosí, Mexico. The labels
of those specimens do not provide data about the precise locality where the plant was
found; not even McVaugh (1956), in his contribution about the travels of Parry and
Palmer, provides information to determine the exact place where the above men-
tioned plants came from, although doubtless it is a place near Sierra de Álvarez, in
the region east of the city of San Luis Potosí.

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Gardner, in her doctoral thesis (1982), pointed out that in San Luis Potosí it is
possible to find at least two distinct forms “two types” of plants named Tillandsia
parryi, one with violet petals and another with green petals. She concluded that “...
these types are distinct enough to be recognized as distinct species. The latter [that
of green petals] is interpreted as T. parryi, but dried specimens are difficult to deter-
mine.” However, she did not provide evidence to support her assertion, and did not
mention if she had seen type material.
Ehlers (1991), without providing more data, assumed as true Gardner’s
interpretation (1982) and described the taxon with violet flowers as Tillandsia
sueae. However, a careful microscopic revision of the flowers of the type material
of Tillandsia parryi (Parry & Palmer 873 (GH!, K!, MO!, PH!, US!)) showed that
the petals of this taxon are violet and not green as was supposed by Gardner. For the
reasons previously stated, we conclude that Tillandsia sueae Ehlers is a taxonomic
synonym of T. parryi Baker, while the species with green petals has no name, so we
propose:
Tillandsia suesilliae Espejo, López-Ferrari et W. Till, sp. nov. Figs. 1 and 2.
Herba lithophytica, acaulis, rosulata, florens usque ad 80 cm alta; folia nu-
merosa, vaginae distinctae, triangulares, 10.5-13 cm longae, 4-6.5 cm latae; laminae
triangulares 30-50 cm longae, 3.5-4.2 cm latae; pedunculus erectus, teres, 18-40 cm
longus; inflorescentia unico-ramulosa; spicae ellipticae usque ad oblongo-ellipticae,
9.5-18 cm longae, 1.7-2.3 cm latae; bracteae florales virides, rarius roseae, imbrica-
tae, oblongo-ellipticae, 3.9-5 cm longae, 1.3-1.8 cm latae, praeter apicem ecarina-
tae, dense albo-lepidotae; flores distichi, corolla actinomorpha, tubiformis; petala
viridia, spathulata, 5.2-6.1 cm longa, 8.8-10 mm lata; stamina et stylus exserta.
Saxicolous, stemless herbs, flowering 60-80 cm tall, with funnelform tank
type rosettes 30-50 cm in diameter, solitary. Leaves numerous, sheaths distinct,
tinged with purple, especially on the adaxial surface, oblong-elliptic, 10.5-13 cm
long, 4-6.5 cm wide, densely lepidote on both surfaces, blades green-greyish, nar-
rowly triangular to linear-triangular, curved, involute at the margins, densely white-
lepidote on both surfaces, 30-50 cm long, 3.5-4.2 cm wide, apex long-attenuate,
acute. Inflorescence terminal, erect, compound, once branched, with 12 to 15 ad-
pressed to ascendent spikes, peduncle terete, 18-40 cm long, 5-7 mm in diameter,
covered by the bract sheaths; peduncle bracts green-greyish, foliaceous, narrowly
triangular, 14-23 cm long, reducing their size gradually towards the distal portion of

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Fig. 1. Tillandsia suesilliae Espejo, López-Ferrari & W. Till. A. habit; B. inflorescence detail;
C. spike; D. flower; E. flower detail; F. flower dissected; G. stigma. Voucher: J. Ceja et al.
1745.
AF
B
C
G
D
E
20 cm
40 cm
10 cm
3 cm
2 mm
4 cm
5 cm

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the peduncle; spikes compressed, narrowly elliptic, 9.5-18 cm long, 1.7-2.3 cm wide,
stipes 1.2-1.5 cm long, slightly compressed; primary bracts green-greyish, 6-14 cm
long, those of the distal portion vaginiform; floral bracts green to rose colored, lon-
ger than the internodes, imbricate but the rachis visible after anthesis, elliptic, 3.9-5
cm long, 1.3-1.8 cm wide, ecarinate except at the apex, densely white-lepidote, acu-
minate; flowers distichous, adpressed, 6-10(-11) per spike, subsessile, corolla actino-
morphic, tubiform; sepals green, free, narrowly elliptic, 3.4-3.5 cm long, 9-10 mm
wide, nerved, the two adaxial carinate, glabrous; petals free, green in the apical half,
white toward the base, spathulate to oblong-spathulate, 5.2-6.1 cm long, 8.8-10 mm
wide, obtuse; stamens longer than the petals, in two series of unequal length, fila-
ments green in the apical half, white toward the base, flat (ribbon-like) in the basal
part and somewhat thickened distally although also somewhat compressed, 5.8-6.6
cm long, anthers black, oblong, 3.7-4 mm long, dorsifixed; ovary ellipsoid, 7.5-9 mm
Fig. 2. Tillandsia suesilliae Espejo, López-Ferrari & W. Till. Inflorescence detail. Voucher:
J. Ceja et al. 1745.

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Espejo et al.: Tillandsia suesilliae, a new species from Central Mexico
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long, ca. 3 mm in diameter, style exceeding the petals, filiform, 6.3-6.5 cm long,
stigma green, conduplicate-spiral. Capsule fusiform, shortly mucronate, 3-3.3 cm
long, 5-6.5 mm in diameter; seeds reddish-brown, fusiform, ca. 3 mm long, with a
white coma 1.8-2 cm long.
Type: San Luis Potosí, municipio de Zaragoza, 1.5 km después de Las Ru-
sias, rumbo al Valle de los Fantasmas, 22°03'12'' N, 100°34'01'' W, 1964 m s.n.m.,
saxícola, 12.IX.2005, J. Ceja, A. Espejo, A. R. López-Ferrari, A. Mendoza R. & I.
Ramírez M. 1745 (holotype UAMIZ; isotypes: IEB, MEXU, WU).
Paratypes: Hidalgo: municipio indefinite, on canyon walls on road from Ja-
cala to Tamazunchale, J. Anderson s. n. (SEL); San Luis Potosí: municipio de Zara-
goza, in Valley of the Phantoms, about 40 km east of San Luis Potosí, saxicolous, C.
S. Gardner 306 (US); municipio de Zaragoza, Valle de los Fantasmas, saxícola, C. S.
Gardner 807 (SEL, US); municipio de Zaragoza, Sierra de Álvarez, 22-25 (37.4-42.5
km) road miles east-southeast of San Luis Potosí, R. McVaugh 12282 (MICH(x2)).
Other records: Line drawing in Gardner’s thesis (1982, p. 150) and in Sill
(2002, p. 209 and 212).
Tillandsia suesilliae is known only from the states of San Luis Potosí and
Hidalgo, Mexico (Fig. 3), growing as a saxicole on calcareous cliffs surrounded by
Quercus forests, between 1800 and 2350 m.
The new species shares some similarities with Tillandsia parryi but is easily
distinguished by the characters shown in table 1.
Tillandsia parryi Baker, J. Bot. 25: 277. 1887. Type: San Luis Potosí, chiefly in
the region of San Luis Potosí, 22° N, C. C. Parry & E. Palmer 873 (holotype: K!;
isotypes: GH!, MO!, PH!, US!). Fig. 4.
Tillandsia sueae Ehlers, J. Bromeliad Soc. 41: 208-213, fig. 6, 9-11. 1991, syn. nov.
Type: Tlaxcala “Puebla”, circa urbem Tlaxcala, III-1982, R. & K. Ehlers EM 82134
(holotype: WU 3760!; isotypes: WU 3761!, 3762!).
Saxicolous or epiphytic, stemless herb, flowering 60-80 cm tall, with funnel-
form, tank type rosettes to 65 cm in diameter, solitary or forming groups of two or

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Acta Botanica Mexicana 78: 85-95 (2007)
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three rosettes. Leaves numerous, sheaths distinct, pale brown abaxially, dark brown
on the adaxial surface, oblong-elliptic, 10-18 cm long, 5.5-10 cm wide, densely lepi-
dote on both surfaces, blades green-greyish, narrowly triangular to linear-triangu-
lar, curved, involute at the margins, densely white-lepidote on both surfaces, 44-70
cm long, 3.5-3.7 cm wide, apex long-attenuate, acute. Inflorescence terminal, erect,
compound, once-branched or occasionally twice-branched at the base, with 12 to
22(-30) adpressed to ascending spikes, peduncle terete, 24-35 cm long, ca. 7 mm in
diameter, covered by the bract sheaths; peduncle bracts green-greyish, foliaceous,
narrowly triangular, 29-40 cm long, the apex long-attenuate, reducing their size
gradually towards the distal portion of the peduncle; spikes compressed, narrowly
elliptic, 9-24 cm long, 1.5-2.7 cm wide, stipes 1.5-1.7 cm long, slightly compressed;
primary bracts green-greyish, (5.5-)6.5-31 cm long, those of the distal portion vagi-
niform; floral bracts red to orange colored, longer than the internodes, imbricate
but with the rachis visible after anthesis, elliptic, 2.7-3.6 cm long, 1.2-1.6 cm wide,
ecarinate except at the apex, densely to sparsely white-lepidote, glabrescent with
Fig. 3. Distributions of Tillandsia deppeana x parryi, T. parryi and T. suesilliae.
Tamaulipas
Zacatecas
Puebla
San Luis Potosí
Nuevo León
Jalisco
Veracruz
México
Hidalgo
Guanajuato
Michoacán
Guerrero
Coahuila
Tabasco
Oaxaca
97°
Morelos
Querétaro
Tlaxcala
Durango
Aguascalientes
Distrito Federal
Campeche
103° 102°101° 100°99° 98°96° 95° 94°93°
18°
19°
20°
21°
22°
23°
24°
25°
26°
Tillandsia deppeana x parryi
Tillandsia parryi Baker
Tillandsia suesilliae López-Ferrari,
Espejo et W. Till
0 100200 300 50
Km
N

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91
Tillandsia parryi Tillandsia suesilliae
Habit epiphytic or saxicoloussaxicolous
Inflorescence
once branched to twice
branched
once branched
Scape bracts 29-40 cm long 14-23 cm long
Floral bracts 2.7-3.6 cm long, red to orange
colored
3.9-5 cm long, green to rose
colored
Sepals
2.3-3 cm long3.4-3.5 cm long
Petals4.6-5.2 cm long, violet 5.2-6.1 cm long, green
Stamens 5-5.8 cm long, violet5.8-6.6 cm long, green
Anthers3-3.5 mm long3.7-4 mm long
Capsule4.6-5 cm long 3-3.3 cm long
Seeds3.5-4 mm long, dark brown 3 mm long, reddish-brown
Table 1. Comparative characters of T. parryi Baker and T. suesilliae Espejo, López-Ferrari
et W. Till.
age, acuminate; flowers distichous, adpressed, (6-)9-11 per spike, subsessile, corolla
actinomorphic, tubiform; sepals green, free, elliptic, 2.3-3 cm long, 7.5-10 mm wide,
nerved, the two adaxial ones carinate, glabrous, acuminate; petals free, violet in the
apical half, white toward the base, oblong to oblong-spathulate, 4.6-5.2 cm long, 6.5-
7 mm wide, acute, stamens longer than the petals, in two series of unequal length,
filaments violet in the apical half, white toward the base, flat (ribbon-like) in the
basal part and somewhat thickened distally although also somewhat compressed, 5-
5.8 cm long, anthers black, oblong, 3-3.5 mm long, dorsifixed; ovary ellipsoid, 7-10
mm long, 1.5-2 mm diameter, style exceeding the petals, violet in the apical half,
white toward the base, filiform, 5.5-6 cm long, stigma violet, conduplicate-spiral,
papillate. Capsule green to brownish, fusiform, rostrate, 4.6-5 cm long, 5-7 mm in
diameter; seeds dark-brown, fusiform, 3.5-4 mm long, with a white coma ca. 1.8 cm
long.
Examined specimens: Guanajuato: Guanajuato, A. Dugès s. n. (GH); muni-
cipio de Jaral del Progreso, Jaral, W. Schumann 1514 (P, US, WU); municipio de San

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Fig. 4. Tillandsia parryi Baker. A. habit; B. spike; C, D. flower; E. flower dissected; F.
stigma.
AE
B
D
C
F
1 cm
2 cm
20 cm
1 cm
1 cm

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Espejo et al.: Tillandsia suesilliae, a new species from Central Mexico
93
Luis de la Paz, cerro El Chapín, por Mesas de Jesús, E. Ventura V. & E. López 9837
(IEB(x2), UAMIZ(x2)). Hidalgo: municipio de Jacala, cerca de Jacala, E. Matuda
38659 (MEXU(x4)); municipio de Zimapán, 28.1 miles S of Huejutla along hwy to
Pachuca, J. Utley & K. Burt-Utley 7325 (MEXU); municipio de La Misión, 20 miles
N of Jacala, O. van Hyning 594 (US(x2)); municipio de Metztitlán, Meztitlán, R.
Ehlers 942403 (M(x2)); municipio de San Agustín Mezquititlán, ca. 4 km después
de Carpinteros, rumbo a Huayacocotla, J. Ceja, A. Espejo & A. R. López-Ferrari
1298 (UAMIZ(x3)); municipio de San Agustín Mezquititlán, ca. 6 km después de
Carpinteros, rumbo a Huayacocotla, ca. 600 m después del ejido forestal La Selva, J.
Ceja, A. Espejo & A. R. López-Ferrari 1300 (CICY(x2), UAMIZ(x2)); municipio de
San Agustín Mezquititlán, 3 km al E del poblado El Rodeo, J. L. López G. 411 (IEB,
MEXU, UAMIZ); municipio de Tenango de Doria, 20 miles N of Jacala, O. van Hyn-
ing 594 (US); municipio de Tlanchinol, 4 km al NE de Tlanchinol, sobre la carretera
a Huejutla, J. Rzedowski 32687 (ENCB); municipio de Zacualtipán de Ángeles, alre-
dedores de Zacualtipán, L. González Q. 342 (ENCB). México: municipio de Tlalma-
nalco, cañadas 3 km al S de San Rafael, J. Rzedowski 32714 (ENCB). Nuevo León:
municipio de Santiago, Potrero Redondo, A. Contreras s. n. (MEXU); municipio de
Galeana, Sierra Madre Oriental, San Francisco canyon, about 15 miles SW of pueblo
Galeana, C. H. Muller & M. T. Muller 324 (GH, MICH, P, TEX); municipio de Ge-
neral Zaragoza, Sierra Madre Oriental, Dulces Nombres, and just east of border into
Tamaulipas, 24° N, 99.5°-100.5° W, F. G. Meyer & D. J. Rogers 2709 (BR); municipio
de Santiago, mountain 20 miles south of Monterrey, J. D. Staub & E. L. McWilliams
s. n. (US(x2)); municipio de Monterrey, second canyon south of Monterrey toward
Tampico, R. Ford Smith M30 (TEX); municipio de Aramberri, Kreuzung vor Aram-
berri, Schindhelm 2/93 (M(x2)); municipio de Aramberri, cerro El Viejo, G. B. Hinton
et al. 25169 (IEB, TEX); municipio de Galeana, Agua Blanca a La Purísima, G. B.
Hinton et al. 21831 (IEB, MICH, TEX); municipio de Galeana, Sierra Madre Orien-
tal, cañón de San Francisco, C. H. Müller s. n. (MEXU(x3)); municipio de General
Zaragoza, cerro El Viejo, G. B. Hinton et al. 22691 (TEX); municipio de Santiago,
trail from La Trinidad to Potrero Redondo, C. H. Müller 2954 (GH, LL, MICH, UC).
Querétaro: municipio de Landa de Matamoros, Llano Chiquito, S. Zamudio R. & E.
Carranza G. 10233 (IEB, UAMIZ); municipio de Landa de Matamoros, Joya del Hie-
lo y alrededores, S. Zamudio R. & E. Pérez C. 9918 (IEB); municipio de Peñamiller,
cerro de San Nicolás Molinitos, S. Zamudio R. 5951 (IEB, UAMIZ(x2)); municipio
de Peñamiller, ladera NE del cerro La Tembladera, 10.5 km al NE de Peña Blanca, S.
Zamudio R. 9108 (IEB, UAMIZ); municipio de Pinal de Amoles, al SW de 4 Palos,
E. Carranza G. 2976 (IEB(x2)). San Luis Potosí: municipio indefinido. Prov. de San

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Luis, Virlet D’Aoust 682 (P(x3)); municipio de Guadalcázar, aproximadamente 5 km
de San José de las Flores por camino a Los Amoles a la mitad del camino entre am-
bos poblados, H. Hernández M., C. Gómez & R. Bárcenas 3273 (MEXU, UAMIZ);
municipio de Zaragoza, 3 km al NE de Calera, A. Rivera 29 (ENCB). Tamaulipas:
municipio de Cruillas, Cerro Zamora, vicinity of El Milagro, H. H. Bartlett 11154
(GH(x2), MICH(x2)); municipio de Jaumave, Santa Rita Ranch, 40 miles south Vic-
toria, R. Runyon 1033 (GH, US); municipio de Bustamante, ejido Ricardo García o La
Presita, km 66 carretera Victoria - Tula, M. Martínez, M. Martínez & L. Hernández
S. 345 (MEXU); municipio de Hidalgo, near La Caballada, G. B. Hinton et al. 25188
(IEB, TEX); municipio de San Carlos, Sierra de San Carlos, ca. 5 m of San Carlos, N
side of bufa El Diente, G. Nesom, M. Martínez & J. Jiménez 6299 (TEX); municipio
de San Carlos, Sierra de San Carlos en el cerro del Diente, 7 km (en línea recta) al W
de San Carlos, M. Martínez & J. Martínez 2042 (MEXU); 2046 (MEXU); municipio
de San Carlos, cerro Bufa del Diente, S. Zamudio R. 11891 (UAMIZ). Tlaxcala: Sin
localidad indicada, Schnée s. n. (P(x2).
Sill (Gardner) (2002) pointed out a possible relationship between the sub-
strate and the flower color, suggesting that plants with green petals are saxicolous
while those with violet petals are epiphytic. Neither the information from our data-
base nor our personal observations confirm this possibility, since we have reports
of plants of Tillandsia parryi growing as epiphytes (Ceja et al. 1298, 1300) or as
saxicoles (Anderson s. n., Zamudio 9108, Carranza 2976, Martínez & Martínez
2042, 2046).
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We are very grateful to Bruce K. Holst for the critical revision of the
manuscript, to Jacqueline Ceja and Aniceto Mendoza for their assistance with field
work, and to Nancy Martínez Correa for the map included here. Also we thank the
curators of the following herbaria for providing the facilities to consult specimens
and data: BR, CICY, ENCB, GH, IEB, K, LL, M, MEXU, MICH, MO, P, PH, SEL,
TEX, UAMIZ, UC, US and WU. The illustrations of the species were elaborated
by Rolando Jiménez Machorro. The photograph was taken by Aniceto Mendoza.
This work was partially supported by the Elizabeth Bascom Fellowship given by the
Missouri Botanical Garden (2004) to the second author.

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Baker, J. G. 1887. A synopsis of Tillandsieae. J. Bot. 25: 277-281.
Ehlers, R. 1991. A new Tillandsia species: Tillandsia sueae. J. Bromeliad Soc. 41(5): 208-
213.
Gardner, C. S. 1982. A systematic study of Tillandsia subgenus Tillandsia. PhD. Thesis.
University of Texas. Corpus Christi. 305 pp.
McVaugh, R. 1956. Edward Palmer, plant explorer of the American west. University of
Oklahoma Press. Norman, Oklahoma. 430 pp.
Sill (Gardner), S. 2002. Tillandsia parryi and Tillandsia sueae, sister species of central
Mexico. J. Bromeliad Soc. 52(4): 147-152.
Recibido en febrero de 2006.
Aceptado en octubre de 2006.
LITERATURE CITED