Gouda 2019b (Article) Tillandsia [German]

A stunning new Tillandsia from San Martin / Peru: Tillandsia alto-mayoensis

Author(s):—E.J. Gouda

Publication:—Die Bromelie 2019(2): 62-66. (2019)

German title:—Eine erstaunliche neue Tillandsie aus San Martin / Peru: Tillandsia alto-mayoensis

Abstract:—In the 2016 Wold Bromeliad Conference in Texas USA, Jerry Raack showed this unknown Tillandsia in the Bromeliad show. The plant came from Karol Villena, Orquidias Amazonicas, Moyobamba, Peru, sold under the name Tillandsia confinis, which of course is not anything like it. The plant was collected south of Moyobamba half way between Santa Isabel and Jepelacio at about 1400 m elevation. This new species is closely related to Tillandsia rusbyi Baker (1889) or, if different, Tillandsia ulei Mez (1905). Interestingly, the description of T. ulei given by Mez, seems to be a translation of the English description given for T. rusbyi by Baker into Latin, with some omissions and a few changes.
The main differences are the length of the floral bracts (7 mm vs. 10–12 mm), lepidote and nerved in Baker’s description and not mentioned by Mez, sepals equally subfree, glabrous, the adaxial ones carinate in T. rusbyi and again omitted by Mez. Then Mez added some details for the pistil, not given by Baker. This is not very helpful in distinguishing the two species, because only the difference in floral bract length remains. I think that this was the reason for Lyman B. Smith (Smith & dachziegelförDowns 1977) to consider T. ulei a synonym of T. rusbyi. More study is needed to reveal all the differences between those two species, but it is clear that they are not conspecific and both species need recognition. Here, this new species is only compared with Tillandsia rusbyi because it comes closer in floral bract length and has a more detailed description. Jerry sent me nice photos of the flower details, which started the discussion what species it could possibly be. Later Jeffrey Kent sent me a flowering plant that came through the flight very nicely and kept on flowering and was used to prepare the description and type specimen voucher.

Published names (1):

Tillandsia altomayoensis