Billbergia pallidiflora Liebm.
Literature references:
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Comments:
- Detail from McVaugh in Flora Novo Galiciana 1989
On trees, in tropical deciduous or subdeciduous forest or oak forest, lowlands and foothills of the Pacific slope, sea-level to ca 1350 m, flowering Aug, fruiting Nov-Feb.
Sin., Jal., Col., Gro. (La Correa, Langlasse 374, US!, an isotype of B. mexicana), Oax., Chis.; Centr. Amer. (Nicaragua, Oersted, C, the holotype from a cultivated plant).
Road to Mascota, 10 km NE of Puerto Vallarta (Feddema 2579); Chamela, Estacion de Biologia (Lott 1007, Ayala 114, Solis 4391, Magana & Lott 1, Magana et al. 298; all MEXU, cited by Magana, not seen); high ridges 9-10 km E or SE of Minatitlan, Col. (McVaugh 26208).
Leaves 50-60 cm long in a tubular or vase-shaped rosette, the sheaths large, narrowly ovate-oblong, the blades ligulate, acute or acuminate, 3-4.5 cm wide, spinose-serrate with upwardly curved teeth 2.5-3 mm long; scape stout, arching, farinose; inflorescence cylindric, many-flowered, 20-30 cm long, farinose; scapebracts imbricated, lance-elliptic, over 15 cm long; floral bracts suborbicular-ovate, much shorter than the flowers; flowers sessile, 5-6 cm long; sepals ovate-oblong, unequal, 9-17 mm long; petals green, 5-?6 cm long; ovary slenderly ovoid ellipsoid, 12-20 mm long, coarsely sulcate with the ridges soon glabrous, the epigynous tube narrow, 3-6 mm long; style 4 cm long, violet; ovules borne between the middle and the apex of the ovary; fruit 1.7-2 cm long, 1-1.2 cm thick, sulcate, densely lepidote, green; seeds described by Magana as naked, pyramidal, 75-80, 3 mm long.
The cited isotype of B. mexicana is a very good match for our material, and for other specimens of B. pallidiflora, but in B. mexicana, all known specimens of which are in young fruit, the flowers tend to be spreading or reflexed. In flowering material of B. pallidiflora the flowers are more ascending, but as they mature they gradually become more spreading. Smith (in Smith & Downs. 1979) maintained the two, with some question, as distinct species. (McVaugh in Flora Novo Galiciana 1989)
- The character of floral orientation (erecta or suberect vs. patent to reflex) used to distinguish Billbergia pallidiflora and B. mexicana varies depending on the state of development of the inflorescence. In view of their great similarity with other characteristics it seems better to treat them as co-specific. —See Utley & Burt-Utley 1994
- Note that Espejo includes Bchiapensis as a synonym too but this is not generally eccepted - Butcher
Billbergia pallidiflora Liebm., Ann. Sci. Nat. Bot. ser. 4: 2: 373. 1854; Index Sem. Hort. Haun. 1854: 26. 1854.
Billbergia mexicana Mez, Repert. Sp. Nov. 16: 6. 1919.
Billbergia chiapensis Matuda, An. Inst. Biol. Mexico 23: 146. 1953.
Billbergia oaxacana Matuda, Cact. & Suc. Mex. 15: 16, fig. 19. 1970.
State(s): CHIS: Bella Vista, Comitan de Dominguez, Jiquipilas, Mazapa de Madero, Motozintla, Ocozocuautla de Espinosa, Socoltenango, Tuxtla Gutieirez, Tzimol. COL: Minatitlan, Villa de Alvarez. GRO: Jose Azueta, La Union de Isidoro Montes de Oca. JAL: Cabo Corrientes, Cihuatlan, La Huerta, Tuxcacuesco. MICH: Aquila, Lazaro Cardenas. NAY: Bahia de Banderas. OAX: Asuncion Ixtaltepec, Ciudad Ixtepec, El Barrio de la Soledad, San Carlos Yautepec, San Miguel del Puerto, San Pedro Huamelula, Santa Maria Huatulco, Santa Maria Mixtequilla, Santiago Lachiguiri, Santo Domingo Tehuantepec.
Elevation: 10-1350 m.
Type: A. Oersted in hort. Haun. s.n. HT: C. Nicaragua.
Voucher: A. Espejo, A. R. Lopez-Ferrari, J. Ceja, A. Mendoza R. & I. Ramirez M. 6601 (UAMIZ(x5)). —See Espejo et al. 2004 p. 25(1): 38