Wittmackia antillana (Mez) Aguirre-Santoro (2017: 632)

Aguirre-Santoro, Julián, 2018, Taxonomic revision of the Caribbean-endemic species of Wittmackia (Bromeliaceae), Phytotaxa 336 (2), pp. 101-147 : 111-113

2. Wittmackia antillana (Mez) Aguirre-Santoro (2017: 632) . Basionym: Hohenbergia antillana Mez (1896: 137) . TYPE:— PUERTO RICO. Cayey: Cayey ad arbores. (Cayey: auf Baumen in Quebra. Morillos), 27 October 1885, P. Sintenis “2000” (3000) (lectotype B! [designated by Smith & Downs (1979: 1758)], isolectotypes B!, G!, GH!, HAC, HAL, K!, LE!, LY, P!, TRIN, US!)

Hohenbergia tetaensis Proctor & Cedeño-Maldonado (1999: 111) . TYPE:— PUERTO RICO. Salinas: barrio Lapa, summit area of E. peak, Las Tetas de Cayey, 820–830 m, 23 April 1988, G.R. Proctor 44657 (holotype US [possibly lost], isotype IJ!, SJ!).

Plant rupicolous, terrestrial, or epiphytic, cespitose or solitary, 100–130 cm tall; rosette broad. Leaves 80–153 cm long, coriaceous; sheaths conspicuous, oblong to elliptical, 20–23 × 8.5–13 cm, pale brown, lepidote on both surfaces, serrate; blades lingulate, 98–120 cm long, 8.5–11.9 cm wide at the base, 8–11.5 cm wide in the middle, green, occasionally maculate with darker green spots, both surfaces smooth, lepidote on both surfaces, more densely on the abaxial side, apex initially rounded, then ending in a sharp and acuminate mucro, margins serrate, the teeth evenly distributed, hook-shaped, antrorse, green, 1.3–2 × 1–2 mm. Inflorescence erect to inclined; peduncle partially concealed by the rosette, stout, rigid, 26–36.5 cm long, 7–13 mm in diameter, green, floccose, central internodes 3.5– 6.4 cm, distal internodes 2–3.5 cm; peduncle bracts longer than the internodes, marcescent, coriaceous, nervose, green to pale brown, occasionally dull purple, the central ones erect, imbricate, lanceolate to elliptical, 8.9–13.2 × 1.3–2.5 cm, floccose abaxially, glabrescent adaxially, serrate, the teeth evenly distributed along the margins, 0.2–1.5 mm, apex acuminate, the distal ones suberect, imbricate, lanceolate, 7.5–11.5 × 0.6–2.4 cm, floccose abaxially, glabrescent adaxially, apex acuminate, margins serrate, the teeth evenly distributed, 0.2–1.5 mm; fertile part of the inflorescence conical, 16–27 cm long, 8.7–12.8 cm wide in the middle, 1-divided, branches 6 to 12(–20) in number, rachis straight, green, (8–) 9.5–25 cm long, (3–) 11–12 mm in diameter, floccose. Primary bracts similar to the peduncle bracts, gradually diminishing in size towards the apex of the inflorescence, forming an angle of 45º–120º with the rachis, marcescent, membranaceous, nervose, shorter or longer than the branches; the basal ones lanceolate, 6–9.9 × 1.1– 1.9 cm, green to pale brown, occasionally dull purple, floccose abaxially, glabrescent adaxially, apex acuminate to attenuate, margins serrulate, the teeth irregularly distributed; the apical ones lanceolate, 2–4.2 × 0.6–1.4 cm, green to pale brown, occasionally dull purple, sparsely to densely floccose abaxially, glabrescent adaxially, apex attenuate, margins serrulate, occasionally entire, the teeth irregularly distributed. Spikes ovoid to subcylindrical, 4.5–7.2 cm long, 2.4–4.2 cm wide in the middle; stipes partially covered by the primary bracts, 10–23 mm long, 3.5–9 mm in diameter, terete, floccose, 17–30 flowered; rachis 4.5–7.2 cm long. Floral bracts gradually diminishing in size towards the apex of the spike, partially enfolding the ovaries, imbricate, suberect, slightly concave, coriaceous, ovate, 13–20 × 10–16 mm, green, nervose, ecarinate to carinate, floccose abaxially, glabrescent adaxially, apex initially acute, then ending in a sharp and acuminate mucro of 3–4.5 mm long, margins minutely serrulate, occasionally entire. Flowers suberect, 13–20 mm long. Calyx dorsiventrally compressed; sepals coriaceous, long-triangular, asymmetrical, 7.7–12 mm long, 1–4 mm wide at the base, the unwinged side 0.5–1.8 mm wide, the winged side 1.2–3.1 mm wide, green, nervose, floccose, entire, apex acuminate, gradually turning into a sharp mucro of 1.4–2 mm long, margins minutely serrulate. Corolla tubular, apically spreading; petals 11–13.8 × 1.7–1.8 mm, white, glabrous, entire, apex acute; petal appendages absent. Stamens included; filaments 12.5 mm long, 0.2 mm in diameter, white; anthers 2.7 × 0.4 mm, white. Ovary ovoid, 3.9–5 mm long, 7.7–8.2 mm in diameter, light green, floccose; epigynous tube 0.8–2.4 mm long; ovules more than 100 per ovary, globose. Style 15.7 mm long, white; stigma 1.6 mm long. Fruits ovoid, dorsiventrally compressed, 15 mm long, 8–10.2 mm in diameter, light green, floccose. Seeds more than 20 per fruit, club-shaped, 2.5 mm × 0.5 mm ( Fig. 4 ).

Etymology:— The specific epithet refers to the geographic distribution of this species in the Antilles.

Distribution, habitat, and phenology:— Wittmackia antillana occurs in Puerto Rico and most probably the British Virgin Islands at 0–275(–840) m elevation ( Fig. 2 ). The only collection of W. antillana in the British Virgin Islands (Proctor 44881), however, has imprecise locality information. It grows on wooded limestone hills forming large, but highly localized populations. Wittmackia antillana grows sympatrically with W. portoricensis . Collected in flower in July.

Conservation status:— Wittmackia antillana is categorized here as Endangered (EN B1ab(iii); IUCN 2001) because it has an extent of occurrence of about 2,000 km 2 and grows strictly in karst hills near developing urban areas.

Taxonomic comments and affinities:— Wittmackia antillana is very distinctive and hard to confound with other species of Wittmackia because of its robust inflorescence with green, large floral bracts, covered with white floccose indument. This species and W. portoricensis are the only two species of Wittmackia that occur in Puerto Rico. However, they are distant relatives ( Aguirre-Santoro et al. 2016b) and do not share overlapping diagnostic characteristics. In Jamaica, only W. urbaniana has comparable diagnostic characters with W. antillana . Both species have robust inflorescences, spikes broader than 1.8 cm, and floral bracts longer than 12 mm. However, W. antillana is different by its serrate peduncle bracts and basal primary bracts (vs. entire); floral bracts floccose to sparsely floccose (vs. glabrous), green (vs. yellow), and serrulate (vs. entire); longer petals (11–13.8 cm vs. 14.5–18 cm long), and petal appendages absent (vs. present).

Proctor & Cedeño-Maldonado (1999) described Hohenbergia tetaensis based on a collection of Wittmackia antillana that occurred in the peaks of Salinas (also known as Las Tetas de Cayey), an isolated mountainous area in Southern Puerto Rico. Cedeño-Maldonado (in Acevedo-Rodríguez & Strong 2005) later synonymized this species into H. antillana (= W. antillana ) based on the observation of populations with intermediate morphology between W. antillana and H. tetaensis occurring in the type locality of the latter. This synonymization is confirmed in this taxonomic revision based on the comprehensive revision of specimens of W. antillana and a recent visit by the author to the peaks of Salinas.

Additional specimens examined:— BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS. Guana Island: said to have been collected as a wild plant on Great Camanoe Island , E. of Guana, by Mary Randall, 8 July 1988, Proctor 44881 (IJ!, NY!). PUERTO RICO. Arecibo: 5 km S of Biáfara, 60 m, 18º24’08”N, 66º39’53”W, 25 June 2001, Acevedo-Rodriguez et al. 11646 (US!) ; 0.5 km of Biáfara, 60 m, 18º24’08”N, 66º39’53”W, 10 July 2001, Acevedo-Rodriguez et al. 11700 ( US!) ; Between Arecibo and Utuado, 4 March 1914, Britton et al. 2041 (NY!, US!) ; Barrio Miraflores, Sector Biáfara, Finca Dentón, Road 637, between Roads 656 and 638, about 1 km South, though a private paved road, mogote peak on the west side, about 100 m before the house, 240 m, 18º23.984’N, 066º39.857’W, 14 September 2003, Trejo et al. 2393 ( UPR!) ; Dominguito, Mata de Plátano Natural Reserve, S corner, border with El Tallonal Private Reserve, 195 m, 18º24.547’N, 66º43.743’W, 3 October 2003, Trejo et al. 2425 ( UPR!) ; 178 m, 18º24.538’N, 66º43.755’W, 20 February 2005, Trejo 2864 (NY!, UPR!). Bayamón: near Bayamón , 150 m, 21 September 1963, Liogier 10261 (GH!, NY!) ; 9 January 1960, Woodbury s.n. ( UPR!). Cayey: western hill of Cerro Las Tetas. Located 500 m south from road 162 after turning west from road 1, hill top, 843 m, 18º05’41.5”N, 66º13’55.9”W, 13 November 2012, Aguirre-Santoro 1818 ( UPR!). Dorado: vicinity of Dorado, 20–22 March 1922, Britton et al. 6706 (NY!, UPR!, US!). Isabela: intersection of road 2 and road 113, El Costillal, inside private farm, top of karst hill, 101 m, 18º28’12.5”N, 66º57’54.5”W, 16 November 2012, Aguirre-Santoro et al. 1823 (NY!, UPR!). Manatí: 5 March 1914, Britton et al. 2097 ( NY!). Quebradillas: Terra Nova, at intersection of Rd. 113 and Hwy. 2, on top of ridge, 150 m, 18º28.958’ N, 66º57.8’ W, 8 February 2003, Stevens et al. 229 ( NY!) ; 22 November 1913, Stevens et al. 4860 ( NY!). Salinas: rocky slopes of the peaks of Salinas , 300–500 m, February 2003, Nieves s.n. (SEL!, WU!) ; barrio Lapa: E. peak, Las Tetas de Cayey , 830 m, 4 October 1986, Proctor et al. 42241 (IJ!, US!). San Sebastian: 28 April 1938, Sargent 400 ( US!). Vega Baja: 26 March 1906, Britton et al. 1423 (NY!, US!) ; Punas Afuerto, Vega Baja, 8 December 1899, Goll et al. 1045 ( US!) .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Geographic distribution of the Caribbean-endemic species of Wittmackia. A. Species occurring in Jamaica and Cuba, and species endemic to the western Caribbean. Star: W. caymanensis, triangle: W. mesoamericana, circle: W. penduliflora. B. Species endemic to Puerto Rico. Star: W. portoricensis, circle: W. antillana. C. Species endemic to Jamaica. Circle: W. laesslei, triangle: W. negrilensis, star: W. polycephala.D. Species endemic to Jamaica. Circle: W. rohan-estyi, triangle: W. spinulosa, star: W. urbaniana. E. Species endemic to Jamaica. Circle: W. fawcettii, triangle: W. jamaicana, star: W. inermis. F. Species endemic to Jamaica. Circle: W. abbreviata, star: W. distans, square: W. eriostachya.

FIGURE 4. Wittmackia antillana. A. General habit of the plant. B. Infructescence. C. Inflorescence branch showing the stipe and spike. D. Immature fruit. E. Sepals. F.Petal. G. Calyx in cross section. H. Fruit in longitudinal section. I. Seeds. J. Apical portion of the stamen. (A–E and G–I: Aguirre-Santoro 1823; F and J: Liogier 10261; Photos of living specimens: J. Aguirre-Santoro).