 |
| Tillandsia religiosa Hern.-Cárdenas, González-Rocha, Espejo, López-Ferr., Cerros & Ehlers |
Abstract
Tillandsia religiosa Hern.-Cárdenas, González-Rocha, Espejo, López-Ferr., Cerros & Ehlers, a new species from Morelos, Mexico is described and illustrated. The new species is compared to taxa with similar characteristics, T. taxcoensis Ehlers, T. thyrsigera E. Morren ex Baker and T. superinsignis Matuda. Images and a distribution map of the new taxon are included.
Keywords: Bromeliaceae
Tillandsia religiosa
Hern.-Cárdenas, González-Rocha, Espejo, López-Ferr., Cerros & Ehlers, sp. nov. Fig. 1 A–F.
Tillandsia religiosa is similar to T. taxcoensis Ehlers from which it differs by having oblong-elliptic vs. ovate leaf-sheaths, its shorter spike stipes, flowers 9–16 vs. 5–6 per spike, and its glabrous and pruinose vs. densely cinereous-lepidote flower bracts.
Type:— MEXICO, Morelos, municipio de Tlayacapan: 920 m al SW de San José de los Laureles (en línea recta), rumbo a la barranca Tepecapa, taludes en bosque tropical caducifolio y bosque de Quercus, 1800 m, 18°58’29’’ N, 99°00’25’’ W, 23 January 2011, A. Espejo, R. A. Hernández-Cárdenas, R. Cerros T., J. Espejo, A. Flores-Morales, L. J. Hernández Barón y J. Mora 7419 (holotype UAMIZ(x4)!, isotypes IEB(x3)!).
Etymology:—Specific epithet refers to the religious-ornamental use of these plants by the people of the villages of
the Sierra de Tepoztlán, like Tlayacapan, Tepoztlán and San José de los Laureles. The entire plants or the inflorescences
are used in altar scenes (“nacimientos”) during Christmas celebrations (Figure 2B).
 |
| FIGURE 2. Tillandsia religiosa A. Habit (type collection). B. Plants used as ornaments in “nacimiento” at Tlayacapan. |
Comments:—Because of its saxicolous habit, rossette and inflorescence morphology, Tillandsia religiosa could
be confused, particularly in herbarium material, with T. superinsignis Matuda (1973: 189), and with T. thyrsigera E
Morren ex Baker (1889: 185). However, these two last species have violet corollas, while the new taxon has green
petals. Tillandsia religiosa is also similar to T. taxcoensis Ehlers (1996: 26) (Figure 2C, D), as both species have similar
type of inflorescences and green petals, but there are clear differences between the two taxa that are shown in table 1
and figure 2C, D.
Rodrigo Hernández-Cárdenas, Edith González-Rocha, Adolfo Espejo-Serna, Ana Rosa López-Ferrari, Rosa Cerros-Tlatilpa, and Renate Ehlers. 2014. Tillandsia religiosa, A New Species from the state of Morelos, México. Phytotaxa. 184(1): 053–057.
Resumen
Se describe e ilustra Tillandsia religiosa Hern.-Cárdenas, González-Rocha, Espejo, López-Ferr., Cerros & Ehlers con material procedente del estado de Morelos, México. La nueva especie se compara con T. taxconesis Ehlers, T. thyrsigera E. Morren ex Baker y T. superinsignis Matuda, las cuales presentan características similares. Se incluyen imágenes y un mapa de distribución del nuevo taxon propuesto.
