Wittmackia inermis (Mez) Aguirre-Santoro (2017: 634)

Aguirre-Santoro, Julián, 2018, Taxonomic revision of the Caribbean-endemic species of Wittmackia (Bromeliaceae), Phytotaxa 336 (2), pp. 101-147 : 121-122

7. Wittmackia inermis (Mez) Aguirre-Santoro (2017: 634) . Basionym: Hohenbergia inermis Mez (1913: 414) . TYPE:— JAMAICA. Westmoreland Parish: Darliston, 366 m, 20 August 1907, W.H. Harris 9977 (holotype B!, isotypes BM!, IJ!, NY!, UCWI!, US!)

Plant epiphytic or rupicolous, cespitose; rosette broad. Leaves 88–124 cm long, coriaceous; sheaths conspicuous, elliptical, 20–24 × 9.5–11.3 cm, pale brown, lepidote on both surfaces, entire; blades lingulate, 62–100 cm long, 4.3–8.9 cm wide at the base, 4–8 cm wide in the middle, green, both surfaces smooth, lepidote abaxially, glabrescent adaxially, apex initially rounded, then ending in a sharp and acuminate mucro, margins entire to serrate, the teeth evenly distributed triangular to hook-shaped, straight to antrorse, green, 0–1.1 × 0.6–0.8 mm. Inflorescence central, erect to pendulous; peduncle almost completely exposed out of the rosette, stout, pliable, 57.5–73.2 cm long, 3.5–9 mm in diameter, green, floccose, central internodes 4.2–6.6 cm, distal internodes 4.7–7 cm; peduncle bracts shorter to longer than the internodes, marcescent, membranaceous, nervose, green to dull purple, the central erect, imbricate to lax, lanceolate, 6–8.5(–10.2) × 1.3–1.8 cm, floccose abaxially, glabrescent adaxially, entire, apex acuminate, the distal ones erect, imbricate, lanceolate, 5.2–7.8(–9.8) × 0.9–1.6 cm, sparsely floccose, entire, apex acuminate to attenuate; fertile part of the inflorescence conical, 21.5–39.5 cm long, 9.8–17.8 cm wide in the middle, 1-divided, occasionally 2-divided, branches 10 to 20 in number, rachis straight, green to dull purple, (14–) 18–37 cm long, 2.8–5 mm in diameter, floccose. Primary bracts similar to the peduncle bracts, gradually diminishing in size towards the apex of the inflorescence, diverging from the rachis, marcescent, membranaceous, nervose, shorter than the branches; the basal ones linear-lanceolate, 4.8–6.3(–7.5) × 0.7–1 cm, green to dull purple, sparsely floccose, entire, apex attenuate; the apical ones lanceolate to triangular, 1.5–2.2 × 0.3–0.4 cm, green to dull purple, sparsely floccose on both surfaces, entire, apex attenuate. Spikes ovoid to cylindrical, 2.2–6 cm long, 1.4–1.8(–2.4) cm wide in the middle; stipes exposed, 24–49 mm long, 1.8–3.2 mm in diameter, terete, sparsely floccose, 8–20 flowered; rachis straight, 2.2–6 cm long. Floral bracts gradually diminishing in size towards the apex of the spike, partially enfolding the ovaries, imbricate, suberect, slightly concave, coriaceous, ovate, 9.5–13 × 6–11 mm, cream to yellow, nervose, carinate, glabrous, occasionally sparsely floccose on both surfaces, entire, apex initially acute, then ending in a sharp and acuminate mucro of 0.9–2.7 mm long. Flowers suberect, 9.5–13 mm long. Calyx dorsiventrally compressed; sepals coriaceous, triangular, asymmetrical, 7–8.2 mm long, 2.4–3.2 mm wide at the base, the unwinged side 0.7–1.7 mm wide, the winged side 1.7–2.5 mm wide, green to yellow, smooth, glabrous, entire, apex initially acute, then ending in a sharp and acuminate mucro of 0.9–1.9 mm long. Corolla tubular, apically spreading; petals 9.8–15 × 1.4–2.6 mm, white, glabrous, entire, apex acute; petal appendages flanking the antepetalous stamens, originating at 4 mm from the petal base and detaching at 7.3 mm. Stamens included; filaments flattened, 8.3 mm long, 0.2 mm in diameter, white; anthers rectangular, 2.9–3.2 × 0.6 mm, cream, mucronate. Ovary ovoid, dorsiventrally compressed, 1.5–5.4 mm long, 3.5–5.8 mm in diameter, greenish white, glabrous; epigynous tube 0.6 mm long; ovules more than 30 per ovary, globose. Style longer than the stamens, 10–12.5 mm long; stigma 0.9–1.4 mm long. Fruits 11.8 mm long, 7 mm in diameter ( Fig. 9 ).

Etymology:— The specific epithet probably refers to the lack or scarcity of teeth on the leaf blades.

Distribution, habitat, and phenology:— Wittmackia inermis is endemic to the central and western regions of the Cockpit Country in Jamaica at 100–670 m elevation ( Fig. 2 ). It grows as epiphyte on wooded limestone hills or as terrestrial on exposed limestone banks. Collected in flower from August to November.

Conservation status:— Wittmackia inermis is categorized here as Vulnerable (VU B1ab(iii); IUCN 2001) because its extent of occurrence of about 900 km 2 includes more than ten populations inhabiting well-preserved, but often fragmented, forests in central to western Jamaica, including the protected Cockpit Country.

Taxonomic comments and affinities:— The relatively large and yellow floral bracts at anthesis of Wittmackia inermis makes it similar to W. urbaniana . However, W. inermis is different because of its generally longer inflorescence rachis [(14–) 18–37 cm vs. 7.3–16 cm long]; longer (24–49 mm vs. 4–20 mm long) and more slender stipes (1.8–3.2 mm vs. 5–10 mm in diameter); shorter sepals (7–8.2 mm vs. 9.1–11.8 mm long); petal appendages detaching at 7.3 mm from the base (vs. 10–12 mm); and shorter filaments (ca. 8.3 mm vs. 10.3–13 mm long). In the protologue W. inermis is compared with W. portoricensis but mainly differs from this species by its broader inflorescence (10–18 cm vs. 4–9 cm wide); longer stipes (24–49 mm vs. 12–21 mm long); floral bracts longer (9.5–13 mm vs. 6.6–10.2 mm long), yellow at anthesis (vs. green), and obtuse (vs. acuminate to acute); longer sepals (7–8.2 mm vs. 3.8–5- 8 mm long); and presence of petal appendages (vs. absence).

Additional specimens examined:— UNKNOWN ORIGIN. Without exact locality, Dexter s.n., flowered in cultivation at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, BIC 396, 25 June 1991 ( SEL!) ; 13 July 1991, Dexter s.n. ( SEL!). JAMAICA. St. James Parish : Cockpit Country, road between Niagara and Mocho, 3 km N of Niagara, close to White Rock Hill, 612 m, 18º15’58.2”N, 77º49’49.5”W, 25 June 2012, Aguirre-Santoro et al. 1808 (IJ!, NY!) ; 1 mile south of Sweet Water , 640 m, 23 May 1953, Proctor 7978 ( IJ!) ; Chatsworth district , 1.5 miles N.N.W. of Maroon Town, 488 m, 10 March 1955, Proctor 11751 ( IJ!) ; White Rock Hill , c. 1 mile south of Sweet Water, 610–670 m, 2 December 1962, Proctor 23001 (IJ!, US!). Trelawny Parish: about 4 miles WNW of Troy, on Crown Lands road, Cockpit Country, 549–610 m, 15 July 1963, Crosby et al. 756 ( UCWI!) ; Boothe district , c. 3 miles north of Troy, 488 m, 14 March 1955, Proctor 9959 (IJ) ; Windsor estate, 122–183 m, 27 August 1955, Proctor 10626 (IJ!, US!). Westmoreland Parish: Newmarket and vicinity, near Darliston, 13–22 September 1907, Britton 1468 ( NY!) ; Bluefields and vicinity, Bluefields mountain, 6–7 March 1908, Britton 1966 ( NY!) ; Copse Mountain 1–2 km Sw. of Rat Trap S. of Bethel Town, 366–549 m, February to March 1986, Kelly et al. 1725 ( IJ!) ; Kelly et al. 1726 ( MO!) ; 1 mile W.N.W. of Hopewell , 533 m, 21 November 1955, Proctor 11239 (IJ!, US!) ; vicinity of One-day Cave , c. 1 mile west of Rat Trap, 304–335 m, 23 October 1960, Proctor 21505 (IJ!, US!) ; between Struie and Copse near Darliston, 14 September 1966, Read 1706 ( 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 9. Wittmackia inermis. A. Sepals. B. Petal. C. Apical portion of the stamen. D. Apical portion of the style and stigma. E. Petal appendages. (A-E: Britton 1468).