Hechtia stenopetala Klotzsch

Taxonomic Change:

• Epitype is designated and extended description given. —See Ramirez et al. 2012 p. 254

Literature references:

Baensch & Baensch 1994: 25 Baker 1852: 107:6554 Bromtravels (Web) Die Bromelie: 1996:57 FCBS (Web) J. Bromeliad Soc.: 41:162: 67(3) 145 Manzanares 2005: 276*: 275 Morren Icons: kew 13-40* NY Bot. Garden Oliva-Esteve 2000a: 442* Palmengarten: 52(s):84 Smith & Downs 1974: 594*: 586*: 586* U.S. Nat. Herb. Weber 1984b: 95:578h Wien Herbarium, Inst

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Comments:

• Common name. Flor de gallina.
  
  Hechtia stenopetala is the type species for the genus and in accordance with the protologue comes from a cultivated plant, gathered by Schiede and Deppe in Mexico "from Cuesta Grande de Chiconquioco" and supposedly deposited in B. The annotated copy as the probable type by Burt-Utley in this collection has two labels, one of them with the following text: "Hechtia. Bromeliaceae?. foliis aloeformibus. Malpays de Naulingo. Aprili 1829. ex herb. Hallensi. leg. Schiede & Deppe" and the other one annotated by Mez with the following data "Hechtia stenopetala Klotzsch, Mexico, Dept., Oaxaca, bei Naolingo, Chiltoyaque. leg. Schiede & Deppe."
  Does it also exist, in HAL, a single copyas isotype whose handwritten label by Schiede says ' Bromeliaceae? . foliis aloeformibus. Malpays de Chiltoyaque, Aprili 1829, C J W Schiede".
  The inconsistency of the data about the origin of the type of the species generates doubts on its distribution and Smith and Downs (1974) mention it as from Oaxaca, a State where the taxon doesn't grow. More likely Naolinco as Chiconquiaco and Chiltoyac are towns located to the NNE of Xalapa, in Veracruz, where H. stenopetala is endemic.
  Hechtia glabra is considered here a synonym of H. stenopetala because the comparative study of the material type of both taxa did not reveal enough and consistent differences to treat them as two separate entities. —See Espejo et al. 2005