Tillandsia fuscoguttata Mez
Taxonomic Change:
Literature references:
Comments:
- This Tillandsia has been found by A. Weberbauer in 1902 near Sandia, a town in southeastern Peru, capital of the Province of Sandia, in the Department of Puno. The town is located at 2,175 m a.s.l., near the Sandia River that forms a canyon. In the description of the species is mentioned that it has been collected in a rocky area at an altitude of 2,200 m a.s.l.
Mez (1905) described this species as a new one, the name ‘fusco-guttata’ refers to the lepidote leaves with punctulate dark brown (‘fuscis’) spots (‘guttata’). The correct spelling of the name is „fuscoguttata“. In Smith & Downs (1977) Tillandsia fuscoguttata is placed in synonymy of T. ionochroma, because of the compact inflorescence and primary bracts with recurved apex, especially in the lower primary bracts. On the type specimen a note is written by W. Rauh on 7 May 1974 that says ‘Tillandsia fusco-guttata Mez = according to L.B. Smith T. ionochroma André ex Mez; do not agree with this merger.’
When looking at the type specimens it is clear that they are different species. In the type specimens of Tillandsia fuscoguttata the plants emit short stolons with new root system at the base of the plant, which is different from the close T. ionochroma that grows epiphytically in the Andean Cloud Forest. Revising the type specimens and descriptions the differences between T. fuscoguttata and T. ionochroma are: leaf blades linear, 20 cm long, 1.5 cm wide, with an apex slightly acute, densely lepidote punctulate with dark brown spots (vs. lanceolate, 25–30 cm long, 3 cm wide, sharply pointed, soft, glabrous or almost glabrous, green), inflorescence dense, compact, 6 cm long, 4 cm wide, ovate, (vs. 15 cm long, 3.5 cm wide, cylindric), primary bracts abaxially punctulate lepidote (vs. glabrous), floral bracts carinate, imbricate (vs. ecarinate, not imbricate, not covering the rachis), flowers 16 mm long (vs. 20 mm long) (Tab 1.). —See Manzanares & Till 2022
