Tillandsia malyi L. Hrom., Nominated form
To date, this form with its conspicuous, strongly curly upward bent leaves has been treated as a variety of either T. tectorum or T. reducta. More detailed examinations, particularly comparisons between the inflorescences, have now yielded several essential differences from both species. Thus, it has to be described as a new species.
This new species is named after Ing. Ludwig G Maly, in honour of his 80th birthday. This gentleman not only had a remarkable collection of cacti in Vienna, and later in Maissau, Niederosterreich, but also was one of the first individuals in Austria to cultivate Tillandsia. At the Viennese International garden show in 1964, he constructed an artificial tree with epiphytes and many flowering plants of T. ionantha. This was our first introduction into Tillandsia and the beginning of decades of interest in this genus.
Besides several other visits to South America, Ing. Maly also travelled in Peru. In 1976, he visited the location of the species now named after him, which was some years before our trip there.
The plant differs from T. tectorum in its narrow growth and bent upward curled leaves; scape glabrous, primary bracts 2.5 cm long, virtually as long as the spikes; spikes, not linear, short and wide; flowers erect, but leaving the rhachis visible; rhachis glabrous; floral bracts glabrous, tipped, exceeding the sepals; sepals smooth, glabrous; pistil longer than the stamens.
It differs from T. reducta by its narrow growth and the much longer bent upward, curled leaves; scape glabrous; rhachis glabrous; floral bracts glabrous and exceeding the sepals; sepals smooth, glabrous; petals white with a blue band, not purple-violet; anthers 2 mm long (not 3.5 mm), olive green.
This species is known only from the type locality and nearby surroundings. This species grows in groups forming small cushions on steep rugged rock walls on the eastern slopes of the Cordillera Blanca. It grows together with T. secunda Kunth, Vriesea harmsiana L.B. Sm., a larger form of T. tectorum var. tectorum, T. usneoides L., and, at a somewhat isolated location, with T. krahnii Rauh.
Tillandsia malyi fo. ad int. (HR 23132)
This form thrives on stony slopes and rock terraces in the upper reaches of the Rio Tablachaca in the Dept. Ancash (HR 23132, WU) in a narrowly restricted altitude range between 2000 and 2200 m. It grows together with very large forms of T. tectorum var. tectorum (HR 23131) and T. straminea Kunth (HR 23133), as well as with low, small groups of the columnar cactus Espostoa melanostele Borg.
The leaves of this form only spread a little and point stiffly upward, so that it forms short-stemmed rosettes in the shape of inverted cones. When the plants are growing in compact groups, the very dense indument of long-tasseled scales cause the leaf rosettes to shine white from a distance. The plants attract attention because of their very narrow rosettes and brilliant white leaves.
The plant has never flowered for us so we are unable to give more exact details. A review of the photographs taken where the plants were collected shows very dense capitate inflorescences with short spikes barely exceeding the leaves. The flower colour is white with violet. The locality of this collection is situated in a deep inner Andean valley with a semi-desert-like climate. It is surrounded by high mountain ranges. Like other exclusively lithophytic species, this highly isolated population suggests the presence of a further, new species represented by our collection HR 23132. This will probably be cleared up when the plant flowers. This form could also be a vegetative transition from T. tectorum to T. malyi, and has been provisionally named T. malyi fo. ad. int. Additional observations are needed to describe the taxonomic rank of HR 23132.
In cultivation, this form is very slow-growing, and flowers extremely rarely. —SeeDie Bromelie
