Ehlers 2006e (Article) Tillandsia

Tillandsia celata Ehlers & Lautner, spec. nov.

Author(s):—R. Ehlers

Publication:—Die Bromelie 2006(1): 8-12. (2006)

Abstract:—The discovery of the new species Tillandsia celata Ehlers & Lautner, spec. nov. spanned more than a decade. First, it was collected in 1993 at the type locality of T. atroviolacea, as a plant of slightly different appearance (narrower rosette and greener, more pointed leaves) and, thus, under a separate collection number. In 1993, one of the plants collected developed an inflorescence, but unfortunately, when the plant was already fixed for photographing, the inflorescence broke off during a storm in spring 1994. By then, the differences to T. atroviolacea were already clear. The new species exposed an erect (versus hanging) inforescence and green (versus blue) flowers. In the following years, several expeditions went to this place, but the search for this species was unsuccessful, owing to the harsh conditions at the site and the similarity of the new species to T. atroviolacea in vegetative stage. Eventually, in February 2005, some flowering specimens were collected, the existence of a population was proofed, and a hybrid origin could be excluded. According to the key in Smith (1977), the characters lead to T. bourgei Baker, hut the new species has more coriaceous, appressed lepidote leaves and a glabrous rhachis; the primary bracts are very thinly coriaceous, glabrous and nerved; the spikes are lanceolate with a stalk-like basal part; the floral bracts are longer and conspicuously nerved, nearly glabrous; the sepals are shorter than the bracts and glabrous. The species name will be ‘celata‘ (the hidden one), because of the ‘hide and-seek‘ that the new discovery played with the author.

Published names (1):

Tillandsia celata