Pinzon et al. 2011 (Article) Tillandsia

Morphometric analyses within the Tillandsia utriculata L. complex (Bromeliaceae) allow for the recognition of a new species, with notes on its phylogenetic position

Author(s):—J.P. Pinzón, I.M. Ramírez-Morillo & G. Carnevali Fernández-Concha

Publication:—Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society 138(4): 353–365. (2011)

Abstract:—Morphometric analyses within the Tillandsia utriculata L. complex (Bromeliaceae) allow for the recognition of a new species, with notes on its phylogenetic position. J. Torrey Bot. Soc. 138: 353–365. 2011.—A new species within the Tillandsia utriculata complex is described based on specimens from the dry forests of northwestern Chiapas in the vicinity of Ocozocoautla. To determine whether the apparent differences in size and proportions of the inflorescence between those populations and similar species were objective and significant, a Principal Component Analysis (PCA), a Discriminant Analysis (DA), a Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA), and a Canonical Analysis (CA) were performed using 13 morphometric characters from the inflorescence; in the analyses, the new taxon was compared to T. utriculata, a species with similar floral morphology, and T. cucaensis, which is similar in habit and inflorescence architecture. Morphometric differences were found between the new taxon and the other two species; in addition, the new taxon differs from T. utriculata by having whitish-lepidote leaves, adaxially nerved leaf sheaths with violaceous tinges, and inflorescences with pink peduncle, axis, and rachises. Moreover, a phylogenetic analysis using 40 morphological characters was conducted to find out which species are related to the new taxon. It was found that it is more related to T. utriculata than to T. cucaensis; this finding suggests that the similarities with the latter species are probably either the result of convergent evolution or of an ancient hybridization event. A conservation status assessment of the species was performed according the IUCN criteria, which allowed us to evaluate it as Critically Endangered.

Keywords:—Tillandsia utriculata complex, Tillandsia elusiva, Bromeliaceae, systematics, morphometric analyses, phylogenetic analysis, Chiapas, Mexico

Published names (1):

Tillandsia elusiva

Taxonomy:—Tillandsia huamelulaensis T.huamelulaensis Ehlers (published as T. ‘huamenulaensis’, but corrected here based upon the Article 60.1 of the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature. (p.354).