Wittmackia spinulosa (Mez) Aguirre-Santoro (2017: 638)

Aguirre-Santoro, Julián, 2018, Taxonomic revision of the Caribbean-endemic species of Wittmackia (Bromeliaceae), Phytotaxa 336 (2), pp. 101-147 : 139-140

16. Wittmackia spinulosa (Mez) Aguirre-Santoro (2017: 638) . Basionym: Hohenbergia spinulosa Mez in Urban (1900: 253). TYPE:— JAMAICA. Manchester Parish: New Green, 610 m, 30 April 1896, W.H. Harris 6433 (holotype B!)

Plant epiphytic, cespitose; rosette broad. Leaves 66–74.8 cm long, coriaceous; sheaths conspicuous, oblong to elliptical, 16–26 × 11.8–14 cm, white to pale brown, lepidote on both surfaces, entire; blades lingulate, 41–58 cm long, 9.6–11 cm wide at the base, 9.4–10.7 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 serrate, the teeth evenly distributed, triangular to hook-shaped, striaight to retrorse, dark castaneous, 1–1.2 mm long. Inflorescence central, erect to inclined; peduncle completely concealed by the rosette, stout, rigid, 21.8–33.5 cm long, 1.3–9 mm in diameter, green, sparsely floccose to glabrescent, central internodes 2–5.3 cm, distal internodes 2.2–3(–3.8) cm; peduncle bracts longer than the internodes, marcescent, membranaceous, nervose, cream to pale brown, the central erect, imbricate, linear-lanceolate, 4.5–7.5(–14.2) × 0.7–0.9(–1.8) cm, floccose on both surfaces, apex attenuate, margins serrulate, occasionally entire, the teeth irregularly distributed, the distal ones forming an angle of 30º–60º with the rachis, lax, linear-lanceolate, 4.5 × 0.6 cm, floccose on both surfaces, apex attenuate, margins serrulate, occasionally entire, the teeth evenly distributed; fertile part of the inflorescence conical, 16–39.3 cm long, 4.6–8.7 cm wide in the middle, 1-divided, branches (20–) 50 to 80 in number, rachis straight, green, 11–23.5(–39) cm long, 6–8(– 12) mm in diameter, floccose. Primary bracts similar to the peduncle bracts, gradually diminishing in size towards the apex of the inflorescence, suberect, marcescent, membranaceous, nervose, longer than the branches; the basal ones linear-lanceolate, 4.5–7.1(–11.8) × 0.6–0.8(–1.2) cm, cream to pale brown, floccose-lepidote on both surfaces, apex attenuate, margins entire, occasionally serrulate, the teeth irregularly distributed; the apical ones lanceolate, 1.5–1.8(–2) × 0.2–0.3 cm, cream to pale brown, sparsely floccose on both surfaces, entire, apex attenuate. Spikes cylindrical, 1.9–3.5 cm long, 0.8–1.5 cm wide in the middle; stipes covered by the adjacent spikes, 1–3 mm long, 1.5–3 mm in diameter, terete, sparsely floccose, 12–18(–30) flowered; rachis straight, 1.9–3.5 cm long, green. Floral bracts partially enfolding the ovaries, imbricate, forming an angle of 30º–60º with the rachis, slightly concave, coriaceous, ovate, 3.5–8.3 × 3–6.4 mm, green, nervose, sparsely floccose, minutely serrulate, occasionally entire, apex acute to acuminate, gradually turning into a sharp mucro of 4.7–7.9 mm long. Flowers suberect, 3.5–8.3 mm long. Calyx subdorsiventrally compressed; sepals coriaceous, triangular, asymmetrical, 3.9–5 mm long, 2–3.1 mm wide at the base, the unwinged side 0.6–1.4 mm wide, the winged side 2.1–2.5 mm wide, green, nervose, glabrous, entire, apex initially acute, then ending in a sharp and acuminate mucro of 1.7–3.7 mm long. Corolla tubular, apically spreading; petals membranaceous, 13.8–14.5 × 1.4–1.6 mm, white, occasionally green and basally white, entire, apex acute; petal appendages flanking the antepetalous stamens, originating at 4.7 mm from the petal base. Stamens included; filaments flattened, 9.3 mm long, 0.2 mm in diameter, white; anthers rectangular, 2.7 × 0.4 mm, cream, mucronate. Ovary ovoid, dorsiventrally compressed, 2.1–4 mm long, 3–5.3 mm in diameter, green, sparsely floccose; epigynous tube 0.6–0.7 mm long; ovules more than 30 per ovary, globose. Style longer than the stamens, flattened, 13 mm long; stigma 1.6 mm long. Fruits ovoid, dorsiventrally compressed, 8.1 mm long, 3.4 mm in diameter, green ( Fig. 18 ).

Etymology:— The specific epithet probably refers to the long mucros of the floral bracts and sepals.

Distribution, habitat, and phenology:— Wittmackia spinulosa is endemic to central-southern Jamaica at 100–975 m elevation ( Fig. 2 ). It grows as epiphyte in moist forests on limestone formations. This species grows sympatrically with W. urbaniana . Collected in flower in September.

Conservation status:— Wittmackia spinulosa is categorized here as Vunerable (VU B1ab(iii); IUCN 2001) because its extent of occurrence of about 1300 km 2 includes more than ten populations inhabiting well-preserved, but often fragmented, forests in central to southwestern Jamaica, including the southern edge of the Cockpit Country.

Taxonomic comments and affinities:— Wittmackia spinulosa is very distinctive among Caribbean-endemic Wittmackia because of its relatively short peduncle; densely congested inflorescence with numerous subsessile branches suberect and densely imbricated along inflorescence rachis; basal primary bracts much longer than the branches; and floral bracts and sepals long-mucronate. In general, W. spinulosa can also be recognized by its short and narrow inflorescences; however, the specimen by Bullis s.n. (SEL) has an exceptionally long inflorescence compared to other collections. This specimen was collected from a cultivated individual, which may explain the occurrence of this oversized inflorescence.

Wittmackia spinulosa somehow resembles W. caymanensis because of its long-mucronate floral bracts and sepals, and occasionally green petals. However, W. spinulosa has shorter leaf blades (41–58 cm vs. 60–83 cm long); shorter peduncle (21.8–33.5 cm vs. 68–77 cm long); shorter peduncle bracts (4.5–7.5 cm vs. 9.2–11 cm long); shorter stipes (1–3 mm vs. 6–18 mm long); longer petals (13.8–14.5 mm vs. 8.3–9.3 mm long); and petal appendages arising at 4.7 mm (vs. 1.7 mm).

Additional specimens examined:— JAMAICA. Without precise origin, flowered in cultivation in Miami, March 1989, Bullis s.n. ( SEL!). Clarendon Parish: Glenwood Springs , along road between Balcarres & Sunbury, 945–975 m, 4 January 1974, Proctor 33696 ( IJ!). Manchester Parish: Marshalls Pen NW of Mandeville, 654 m, 18º3’33.1” N, 77º31’53.4”W, 23 June 2012, Aguirre-Santoro et al. 1805 (IJ!, NY!, US!) ; Fairfield , 3–7 September 1908, Britton 3149 ( NY!) ; Lyndhurst , 21–23 September 1908, Britton 3771 ( NY!) ; Wales, 1 mile east of Newport , 685 m, 9 December 1951, Proctor 6064 ( IJ!) ; 2 miles northwest of Devon P.O., 610 m, 4 March 1952, Proctor 6306 ( IJ!) ; 1/ 4 mile due north of Retford Pen, northwest of Mandeville , 730 m, 25 February 1956, Proctor 11581 ( IJ!) ; along road between Fairfield & Huntley, 790–915 m, 9 January 1957, Proctor 16104 ( IJ!) ; Green Pond, 395 m, 9 January to 6 February 2001, Proctor et al. 51657 ( IJ!). St. Elizabeth Parish: 1 mile north of Four paths, 210 m, 13 April 1970, Adams 13225 ( UCWI!) ; Woodlands estate, 2 miles north east of Spur Trees , 760 m, 20 January 1956, Howard et al. 14173 ( IJ!) ; Hampton School, near Malvern , 640–700 m, 14 March 1953, Proctor 7732 ( IJ!) ; Retirement near Malvern , 700 m, 12 August 1954, Proctor 9271 ( IJ!) ; Mt. Charles state, 1 mile due S.S. W. of Giddy Hall P.O., 230–305 m, 9 March 1953, Proctor 11693 ( IJ!) ; 1 mile due north of Redgate , 150 m, 10 March 1956, Proctor 11725 ( IJ!) ; 1.5 miles due north of Redgate , 120 m, 10 March 1956, Proctor 11730 ( IJ!) ; Springfield, 460–530 m, 22 March 1964, Proctor 24729 ( IJ!). vic. Mandeville, flowered in cultivation at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens , Sarasota , Fl , USA, 21 June 2011, Aguirre-Santoro 1506 ( SEL!) .

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 18. Wittmackia spinulosa. A. General habit of the plant. B. Inflorescence. C. Infructescence. D. Spike of the infructescence. E. Spike. F. Floral bract. G. Sepals. H. Calyx in cross section. I. Apical portion of the stamen. (A, C–D, H: Aguirre-Santoro 1805; B, E: Aguirre-Santoro 1506; F–G, I: Britton 3149. Photos of living specimens: J. Aguirre-Santoro [A, C, D]; Wes Rouse [B, E; courtesy of The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens]).