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Bromeliaceae subfam. Hechtioideae Givnish (Givnish et al. 2007) includes herbaceous plants with succulent leaves arranged in acaulescent to short-or rarely long-caulescent rosettes, with spinose or rarely minutely serrate to entire margins, lacking stellate chlorenchyma, having unisexual flowers, capsular fruits, and winged to almost naked seeds (Givnish et al. 2007, Espejo-Serna et al. 2020). The subfamily is distributed from the southern United States to northern Central America, and the entire subfamily is endemic to Megamexico 3 (Rzedowski 1991, Espejo-Serna & López-Ferrari 2018, Espejo-Serna et al. 2020). Hechtioideae comprises 98 taxa, 96 of them distributed in Mexico and 94 endemics to the country (Espejo-Serna et al. 2020, Gouda et al. 2024). The Mexican states with the highest number of species are Oaxaca (30), Puebla (21), Guerrero (14), and Jalisco (11) (Espejo-Serna et al. 2020). The genus HechtiaKlotzsch (Klotzsch 1835) is a member of this subfamily and Gouda et al. (2024) recorded 98 species of Hechtia in their list. However, Ramírez-Morillo et al. (2018) proposed to divide Hechtia (sensu lato) in three genera: Bakerantha L.B.Sm. (Smith 1934), Hechtia (sensu stricto), and Mesoamerantha I.Ramírez & K.J.Romero (Ramírez-Morillo et al. 2018).
As a result of botanical explorations carried out for the project Bromeliaceae of Mexico (Espejo-Serna & López-Ferrari 2018), we collected plants of Hechtia in lands of Xochipala, municipality of Tlaquiltenango, in the state of Morelos, Mexico, within the Sierra de Huautla Biosphere Reserve. Initially, we thought that this population could correspond to Hechtia isthmusianaBurt-Utley (Burt-Utley 2012), H. medusae Hern.-Cárdenas, Siekkinen, López-Ferr. & Espejo (Hernández-Cárdenas et al. 2020) or H. mooreana L.B.Sm. (Smith 1954). However, after a careful and detailed revision of the living material, as well as herbarium specimens, type material, and protologues of all species of the genus distributed in Morelos and some species of the neighboring states, we conclude that these plants belong to an undescribed taxon that we propose here.
Materials and methods
Staminate and pistillate individuals of the new taxon were collected. The material was prepared for herbarium specimens, analyzed, measured, and then descriptions were prepared. Measurements were mostly taken from dried specimens, but fresh material was included. The vouchers were deposited at UAMIZ and XAL collections (acronyms according to Thiers 2024). We revised herbarium material deposited at FCME, HUMO, IBUG, IEB, MEXU, UAMIZ, and XAL, as well as the protologues, the type material, and herbarium specimens of all Hechtia species previously reported from Morelos: Hechtia caulescens López-Ferr., Espejo & Mart.-Correa, H. chichinautzensis Mart.-Correa, Espejo & López-Ferr., H. matudae L.B.Sm., and H. montis-frigidi Gonz.-Rocha, Espejo, López.-Ferr. & Cerros (Smith 1956, López-Ferrari et al. 2009, Martínez-Correa et al. 2010, González-Rocha et al. 2014, 2016, Espejo-Serna et al. 2020) (Appendix 1). The morphological terms used in the description follow Radford et al. (1974) and Scharf & Gouda (2008). To name the vegetation type and the biogeographic provinces where the new species grows, we use the classification proposed by Rzedowski (1978) and Morrone et al. (2017) respectively.
Results
Hechtia cerrostlatilpae Hern.-Cárdenas, Espejo & López-Ferr., sp. nov. (Figures 1-3).
(Photographs A-C by R. Hernández Cárdenas; D-E by R. Cerros Tlatilpa).
Figure 1 Hechtia cerrostlatilpae Hern.-Cárdenas, Espejo & López-Ferr. A. Landscape of the Sierra de Huautla biosphere reserve. B-C. Rosettes in the type locality. D. Detail of the basal portion of the rosette. E. Detail of the apical portion of the rosette.
(Photographs A, C by R. Cerros Tlatilpa; B-B4, D-D4 by R. Hernández Cárdenas).
Figure 2 Hechtia cerrostlatilpae Hern.-Cárdenas, Espejo & López-Ferr. A. Detail of pistillate spike. B. Pistillate flower. B1. Floral bract. B2. Sepals. B3. Petals. B4. Pistil. C. Detail of staminate spike. D. Staminate flower. D1. Floral bract. D2. Sepals. D3. Petals. D4. Stamens.
Figure 3 Distribution map of the Hechtia species present in the state of Morelos and of H. isthmusiana, H. medusae, and H. mooreana.
Type. Mexico, Morelos, municipio de Tlaquiltenango, reserva de la biosfera Sierra de Huautla, cañada que desemboca al río Amacuzac, aprox. 5.9 km al SW del poblado de Xochipala, 18? 24’ 13” N; 99? 05’ 13.3 W, 780 m, 29 July 2023, R. A. Hernández-Cárdenas, S. Lara-Godínez & D. Valenzuela-Galván 2757♂ (Holotype: UAMIZ (6x); Isotype: XAL).
Diagnosis. The new species is similar to Hechtia medusae Hern.-Cárdenas, Siekkinen, López-Ferr. & Espejo (Hernández-Cárdenas et al. 2020) but differs in the arrangement of the staminate and pistillate inflorescences (twice branched vs. once branched), in the number of primary branches in staminate inflorescences (10-15 vs. 20-25), in the shape of staminate floral bracts (widely ovate vs. triangular to ovate), and in the shape of petals of the pistillate flowers (triangular vs. ovate).
Description. Plants saxicolous, in flower 130-150 cm high, rosettes largely caulescent, 40-60 cm high, 40-60 cm diameter, cespitose, forming large clumps; stolons10-15 cm long, 2-4 cm diameter. Leaves 15-20, recurved towards the apex; sheaths white with brown at the base to pale yellow toward the apex, very widely ovate, 2-3 cm long, 2.5-3 cm wide, with minute marginal sharp teeth, glabrous near the base and lepidote distally on both surfaces; blades green, narrowly triangular, 25-35 cm long, 1.8-2.3 cm wide at the base, long attenuate, very densely white lepidote on the abaxial surface, white lepidote near the base and towards the apical portion adaxially, margin with divaricate to ascending sharp teeth, green to pale yellow, 2.5-3.5 mm long, 3.5-5 mm wide, 1-1.5 cm apart. Inflorescences terminal, erect, twice branched in staminate and pistillate plants. Staminate inflorescence 100-115 cm long; peduncle green, terete, 0.5-0.6 cm diameter, glabrous, internodes 4-9 cm long; peduncle bracts green, foliaceous, sheaths widely deltate to deltate, 0.8-1.2 cm long, 1-1.5 cm wide, glabrous on both surfaces, hyaline at the margin, blades linear, 10-17 cm long, 0.3-0.4 cm wide, lepidote on the abaxial surface, glabrous on the adaxial surface, entire, the basal ones larger than the internodes, the upper ones shorter; primary bracts light brown, triangular, 1-1.5 cm long, 0.7-1 cm wide when extended, caudate, entire and hyaline at the margin, glabrous on both surfaces; main axis 60-68 cm long, internodes 4-8 cm long, ascending to divaricate branches; primary branches 10-15, terete, 15-25 cm long, 1-1.2 cm in diameter, secondary branches 6-10, terete, 5-8 cm long, 0.8-1 cm in diameter; floral bracts green at the base brown toward the apex, widely ovate, 1.5-2 mm long, 1.3-1.5 mm wide, longer than the pedicels, apiculate to acute, entire to erose at the margin, glabrous on both surfaces. Staminate flowers more than 30; pedicels 0.5-0.8 mm long; sepals green at the base, brown toward the apex, ovate, 1.8-2.2 mm long, 1.5-1.8 mm wide, obtuse, hyaline and entire, glabrous on both surfaces; petals white, widely elliptic to orbicular, 2.7-3.2 mm long, 2.3-2.8 mm wide, obtuse at the apex, entire, glabrous on both surfaces; stamens equal in length; filaments white, narrowly oblong, flattened, 2.5-2.8 mm long; anthers green in living and dry material, oblong, 0.6-0.8 mm long, versatile; pistillode inconspicuous, green, glabrous. Pistillate inflorescence 95-110 cm long; peduncle green, terete, 0.5-1.2 cm in diameter, glabrous, internodes 4-8 cm long; peduncle bracts green, foliaceous, sheaths widely deltate to deltate, 1-1.3 cm long, 1-1.3 cm wide, glabrous on both surfaces, hyaline at the margin, blades linear, 4-18 cm long, 0.3-0.5 cm wide, lepidote on the abaxial surface, glabrous on the adaxial surface, entire, the basal ones larger than the internodes, the upper ones shorter; primary bracts light brown, triangular, 1-1.2 cm long, 0.6-1 cm wide when extended, caudate, entire and hyaline at the margin, glabrous on both surfaces; main axis 50-70 cm long, internodes 3-8 cm long, ascending to divaricate branches; primary branches 12-15, terete, 6-23 cm long, 1-1.2 cm in diameter; secondary branches 2-6, terete, 2-6 cm long, 0.8-1 cm in diameter; floral bracts green at the base brown toward the apex, ovate, 2.5-3 mm long, 1.8-2.2 mm wide, longer than the pedicels, acute, hyaline and entire to erose at the margin, glabrous on both surfaces. Pistillate flowers more than 30; pedicels 1-1.5 mm long; sepals green at the base, brown toward the apex, ovate, 2.6-3 mm long, 2-2.5 mm wide, acute, hyaline and entire, glabrous on both surfaces; petals white, brown with white when dry, triangular, 3.7-4 mm long, 2.2-2.5 mm wide, acute, entire, glabrous on both surfaces; staminodes rudimentary, white, narrowly triangular, 2-2.5 mm long; ovary superior, green oblong, 3.2-3.8 mm long, 1.8-2.3 mm diameter, glabrous; stylar branches white, recurved, slender, 1-1.2 mm long, stigmas papillose. Capsules and seeds not seen.
Distribution and ecology. Hechtia cerrostlatilpae is only known from the municipality of Tlaquiltenango, in the south-western region of the state of Morelos, in the Sierra de Huautla Biosphere Reserve and the Balsas Basin Biogeographic Province (according to Morrone et al. 2017) in Mexico (Figure 3). Hechtia cerrostlatilpae is a saxicolous plant that grows in tropical deciduous forest, with some species of Anacardiaceae R.Br. (Cyrtocarpa Kunth and Pseudosmodingium Engl.), Apocynaceae (Plumeria Tourn. ex L.), Asparagaceae (Agave L.), Burseraceae (Bursera Jacq. ex L.), Cactaceae (Pachycereus (A.Berger) Britton & Rose, Stenocereus (A.Berger) Riccob., and Mammillaria Haw.), Fabaceae (Lysiloma Benth., and Conzattia Rose), and Malvaceae (Ceiba Mill.), at elevations between 770 and 790 m asl.
Conservation status. Due to the lack of detailed information on the species distribution and abundance, we cannot assess Hechtia cerrostlatilpae to some category of the IUCN (2024) guidelines.
Phenology. The plants of Hechtia cerrostlatilpae blooms from July to August.
Etymology. The specific epithet honors Dra. Rosa Cerros Tlatilpa, botanist colleague and friend, who has made significant contributions to the knowledge of the flora and vegetation of the state of Morelos and the Sierra de Huautla region, where the new species grows.
Additional specimens examined. Mexico, Morelos, municipio de Tlaquiltenango, reserva de la biosfera Sierra de Huautla, cañada que desemboca al río Amacuzac, aprox. 5.9 km al SW del poblado de Xochipala, 18( 24’ 13” N; 99( 05’ 13.3 W, 780 m, 29 July 2023, R. A. Hernández-Cárdenas, S. Lara-Godínez & D. Valenzuela-Galván 2754♀ (UAMIZ, XAL).
Discussion
The new species is characterized by its rosettes largely caulescent, cespitose, and forming large clumps, the arrangement of the inflorescence in staminate and pistillate plants (twice branched), the shape of the floral bracts of the staminate inflorescence (widely ovate), the shape of petals in staminate flowers (widely elliptic to orbicular), the number of the primary branches of the pistillate inflorescence (12-15), and the shape (triangular) and length of petals in pistillate flowers (3.7-4 mm). Including the new species herein proposed as new, the subfamily Hechtioideae comprises 100 taxa, 97 of them distributed in Mexico and 95 endemics to the country.
Hechtia cerrostlatilpae shares some similarities with H. isthmusiana, H. medusae, and H. mooreana including the rosettes largely caulescent and the blades narrowly triangular and densely white lepidote abaxially. However, Hechtia cerrostlatilpae differs from H. isthmusiana in the length of the leaf blade (25-35 vs. 12-32 cm), in the arrangement of the inflorescence in staminate and pistillate plants (twice branched vs. once branched), in the length of the primary branches of the staminate plants (15-25 vs. 2.5-7.5 cm), in the shape of the floral bracts of the staminate inflorescence (widely ovate vs. ovate to oblong), and in the length of the primary branches of the pistillate plants (6-23 vs. 1.5-3.5 cm). Hechtia cerrostlatilpae differs from H. medusae in the length of the leaf sheaths (2-3 vs. 3-4 cm) and leaf blades (25-35 vs. 12-25 cm), in the width of the floral bracts of the staminate inflorescence (1.3-1.5 vs. 1.5-2 mm), in the shape of petals in staminate flowers (widely elliptic to orbicular vs. ovate to elliptic), in the wide of the sepals (2-2.5 vs. 1.8-2 mm), and the size of petals (3.7-4 × 2.2-2.5 vs. 4-4.5 × 2.5-2.8 mm) of the pistillate flowers. Hechtia cerrostlatilpae differs from H. mooreana in the shape (very widely ovate vs. suborbicular to ovate) and size (2-3 × 2.5-3 vs. 3.8-4 × 3.6-4 cm) of the leaf sheath, in the width of the leaf blades (1.8-2.3 vs. 0.8-1.5 cm), in the arrangement of the inflorescence in staminate and pistillate plants (twice branched vs. once branched), in the shape of the floral bracts of the staminate inflorescence (widely ovate vs. narrowly triangular), and in the size of the sepals of the pistillate flowers (2.6-3 × 2-2.5 vs. 1.9-2.2 × 1-1.2 mm), see also Table 1.
Table 1 Morphological comparison among Hechtia cerrostlatilpae, H. isthmusiana, H. medusae, and H. mooreana.
| Characters | H. cerrostlatilpae | H. isthmusiana | H. medusae | H. mooreana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leaf sheath | very widely ovate; 2-3 × 2.5-3 cm | widely depressed ovate; 2-4 × 4-8 | widely ovate to depressed ovate; 3-4 × 2-3 cm | suborbicular to ovate; 3.8-4 × 3.6-4 cm |
| Leaf blade size (cm) | 25-35 × 1.8-2.3 | 12-32 × 1.5-3 | 12-25 × 1.5-2 | 15-35 × 0.8-1.5 |
| Staminate plants (♂) | ||||
| Inflorescences | twice branched | once branched | once branched | once branched |
| Primary branches number | 10-15 | ca. 14 | 20-25 | 10-15 |
| Primary branches length (cm) | 15-25 | 2.5-7.5 | 10-20 | ca. 10 |
| Floral bracts | widely ovate; 1.5-2 × 1.3-1.5 mm | ovate to oblong; 2-3.5 × 1-2.5 mm | ovate to triangular; 1.9-2.3 × 1.5-2 mm | narrowly triangular; 1-1.2 × 0.9-1 mm |
| Sepals | ovate; 1.8-2.2 × 1.5-1.8 mm | ovate-triangular; 1.5-2.7 × 1-1.8 mm | ovate; 2.2-2.6 × 1.8-2 mm | ovate to triangular; 1.5-1.7 × 0.6-0.8 mm |
| Petals | widely elliptic to orbicular; 2.7-3.2 × 2.3-2.8 mm | elliptic to ovate-elliptic; 3.5-4.5 × 1.9-3.3 mm | ovate to elliptic; 4.5-4.8 × 2.5-2.8 mm | elliptic; 2.9-3.1 × 1.6-1.8 mm |
| Pistillate plants (♀) | ||||
| Inflorescences | twice branched | once branched | once branched | once branched |
| Primary branches number | 12-15 | ca. 19 | 15-25 | 25-32 |
| Primary branches length (cm) | 6-23 | 1.5-3.5 | 3-10 | 3-10 |
| Floral bracts | ovate; 2.5-3 × 1.8-2.2 mm | ovate-triangular to oblong; 2-3.5 × 1.2-2 mm | ovate to triangular; 2-2.3 × 1.8-2 mm | unknown |
| Sepals | ovate; 2.6-3 × 2-2.5 mm | triangular; 1.8-2.5 × 1.2-1.5 mm | ovate to triangular; 2.5-3 × 1.8-2 mm | ovate; 1.9-2.2 × 1-1.2 mm |
| Petals | triangular; 3.7-4 × 2.2-2.5 mm | triangular; 4-5 × 1.5-2.5 mm | ovate; 4-4.5 × 2.5-2.8 mm | triangular; 3.2-3.4 × 1-1.1 mm |
In order to facilitate the recognition of all the species of Hechtia present in the state of Morelos (González-Rocha et al. 2016), we include an identification key.
Artificial key to the species of Hechtia from Morelos, Mexico.
1. Basal primary bracts longer than the primary branches; petals pink to magenta ...........................H. matudae
1’. Basal primary bracts equal to shorter than the primary branches; petals white to green ..............................2
2. Staminate plants ................................................................................................................................3
2’. Pistillate plants ..................................................................................................................................6
3. Peduncle lepidote ...............................................................................................................................4
3’. Peduncle glabrous ..............................................................................................................................5
4. Inflorescences twice branched; primary branches 2.6-5.4 cm long ...................................H. chichinautzensis
4’. Inflorescences thrice branched; primary branches 9-18 cm long ..........................................H. montis-frigidi
5. Floral bracts triangular, 2.2-2.5 mm long; petals elliptic, 3.5-4 mm long ...................................H. caulescens
5’. Floral bracts widely ovate, 1.5-2 mm long; petals widely elliptic to orbicular; 2.7-3.2 mm long .....................................................................................................................................H. cerrostlatilpae
6. Peduncle lepidote ..............................................................................................................................7
6’. Peduncle glabrous .............................................................................................................................8
7. Primary branches 2.2-5.5 cm long ...............................................................................H. chichinautzensis
7’. Primary branches 6-23 cm long ......................................................................................H. montis-frigidi
8. Sepals 1.3-1.7 mm wide; petals narrowly triangular, 1.1-1.4 mm wide ....................................H. caulescens
8’. Sepals 2.0-2.5 mm wide; petals triangular, 2.2-2.5 mm wide .............................................H. cerrostlatilpae
