Pinzon et al. 2015 (Conference Paper) Mexico

The diversity of the Bromeliaceae of Mexico from a phylogenetic perspective

Author(s):—Juan Pinzón, Ivón Ramírez-Morillo & Germán Carnevali in Benko-Iseppon, A.M.; Alves, M. & Louzada, R. (2015) An overview and abstracts of the First World Congress on Bromeliaceae Evolution. Rodriguésia 66(2): A1-A66.

Publication:— (2015).

Abstract:—Bromeliaceae is composed by 3,400 species, 398 of which occur in Mexico, accounting for the 11.6% of total. However, not all groups of bromeliads are represented; of the eight subfamilies, only four are found in Mexico, being Hechtioideae and Tillandsioideae the most representative, but also Pitcairnioideae and Bromelioideae are present. In the case of Hechtioideae, which only genus is Hechtia, 20 new species have been discovered since the last checklist of bromeliads from Mexico in 2004, to make a total of 76, (97% of the total); Hechtia represents the most basal bromeliads found in Mexico, mainly distributed in arid habitats and probably originated in Central America but radiating in Mexico. Pitcairnioideae s. str. is only represented by two genera: Pitcairnia (including Pepinia) with 48 species (12.3% of the total of this genus), and Fosterella (only F. micrantha); in contrast with Pitcairnia, Fosterella is well derived within Pitcairnioideae, both originating in South America. Bromelioideae is relatively poorly represented in Mexico with only 22 species. Of the basal Bromelioideae, only four species of Bromelia and two of Greigia are found. The Core Bromelioideae Clade is also poor in Mexico; however all species of the genera Androlepis, Hohenbergiopsis,and Ursulaea are distributed in Mexico, and along with Billbergia viridiflora, Hohenbergiopsis guatemalensis,and two species of Aechmea, form a clade originated in Mexico. Billbergia pallidiflora is the only member of true Billbergia in Mexico. Subgenera Aechmea and Platyaechmea are only represented by one species each; these and A. matudae are probably the result of three independent colonizations of the polyphyletic Aechmea from South America. The recent discovery of Hohenbergia mesoamericana accounts for the only register of this genus in Mesoamerica, invading probably from the Antilles. The most diverse subfamily in Mexico is Tillandsioideae with 251 species. Catopsis is the most early-divergent member of this subfamily in Mexico, with uncertain origin, but radiating in Mexico (with 79% of the total species). Tribe Vrieseeae is represented by seven species of Werauhia; the two species of Mexican Vriesea are nested within Tillandsieae. There are only two species of Guzmania and Racinaea each, but Tillandsia is the most diverse genus in the country with 223 species (35.5% of total). There are four independent lineages of Tillandsia in Mexico: two species of subg. Diaphoranthema, the mesic Tillandsia of Group III, three species of subg. Pseudalcantarea, and thediverse subg. Tillandsia s. str. of which more than 20 species have been described since 2004. According to the species discovery rate there are probably still undescribed species in Tillandsia and Hechtia. Plus,some species need to be reassigned in other genera, so more phylogenetic analyses are needed to clarify the nomenclature and phylogenetic diversity of this family in Mexico.

Keywords:—Bromeliaceae; Diversity; Mexico.