by Michael A. Spencer & Lyman B. Smith in Phytologia 74(2): 151-60. 1993
ABSTRACT
A re-evaluation of Tillandsia subgenus Pseudo-catopsis (Andre) Baker revealed sufficiently distinct characters to warrant the establishment of a new genus, Racinaea. Named in honor of Racine Foster, Racinaea is described and discussed, and new combinations are provided for 46 species and 15 varieties.
Tillandsia section Pseudo-catopsis was established by Andre in 1889. Shortly thereafter, Baker (1889) elevated Pseudo-catopsis to subgeneric rank. He characterized the group by having leaves rosulate, coriaceous, acuminate, and more or less densely lepidote, spikes distichous, flowers small, and a capsule 3-4 times the length of the sepals. Mez (1896), in his treatment of Bromeliacese for C. DeCandolle's Monographiae Phanerogamarum, accepted Pseudo-catopsis as a valid subgenus in Tillandsia, but did not accept all of Baker's descriptive characters. He redefined it by using both stamens that are shorter than the petals and asymmetric sepals as the relevant subgeneric characters. In dolng so, he transferred several species out of subg. Pseudo-catopsis Baker and into other subgenera in Tillandsia. Smith and Downs (1977) continued the use of Pseudocatopsis sensu Mez in their monograph of the Bromeliaceae, though they further defined it as having sepals broadest towards the apex.
During the course of revisionary work on the genera of Bromeliaceae, we have come to the conclusion that taxa treated under subgenus Pseudocatopsis are sufficiently distinct from other tillandaioid species to warrant generic segregation. We therefore establish the new genus Racinaea to accommodate them. The unique set of characters that readily distinguish Racinaea from other tillandsioid genera are distichous, small and inconspicuous flowers; asymmetric sepals which are broadest towards the apex and free or nearly so; stamens and pistil that are included in the corolla; and a short and stout style. A generic description and appropriate new combinations for taxa previously treated as Tillandsia follow. It should be noted that Tillandsia adpressa Andre and its varieties, while belonging in Racinaea, are excluded from the present work because they are being treated separately elsewhere (Grant, in press).
The generic name is adopted in honor of the late Racine Foster (1910-1991) who, with her husband Mulford Foster, collected more than 200 new species of bromeliada, founded the Journal of the Bromeliad Society, and authored the book, Brazil, Orchid of the Tropics. She was a remarkable woman and her dedication to the study of bromeliads was an exemplary and lifelong endeavor. It gives us great pleasure to name our new genus after her.
