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Selbyana 15(2): 79-81 NEW SYNONYMIES IN THE GENUS BILLBERGIA THUNBERG (BROMELIACEAE) TALITA FONTOURA Jardin Botanico do Rio de Janeiro, Rua Pacheco Leao 915, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ABsTRACT. Taxonomic studies of the genus Billbergia in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, showed that three synonymies may be proposed: Billbergia var. amoena (syn.: Billbergia amoena var. rubra); Billbergia tweedieana (syn.: Billbergia tweedieana var. minor); Billbergia pyramidalis var. pyramidalis (syn.: Billbergia pyramidalis var. vernicosa). After field surveys and studies of voucher specimens from other states, it is recommended that a taxonomic revision be initiated, given the variation occuring in the specimens. The genus Billbergia has about 65 species dis als 3.0-5.5 cm long, obtuse with blue apex, adax tributed from Mexico to southern South Amer ially with two fimbriate scales at base and two ica. After the classic works ofMez (1892, 1935) long, narrow calli placed laterally to stamens. and Smith & Downs (1979) no other author has Ovary 0.6-1.8 cm long, cylindric, green, sharply extensively studied this genus. Nevertheless, Pe sulcate. reira (1979), Pereira and Moutinho (1981), Pe Flowering from March to October. Habit: epi reiraand Leme (1984, 1985), and Lemeand We phytic, saxicolous and terrestrial; habitat: Atlan ber (1984) have published new species. tic rain forest and sand dune coastal plains. Very This work presents three synonymies within frequent in the Rio de Janeiro coastal plains. the genus Billbergia after taxonomic studies in Rio de Janeiro State as part of a Bachelor mono EXAMINED MATERIAL. Angra dos Reis: Rio Barra Pequena, 2 Jui. 1980, D. Araujo 3893 (GUA); Ilha graph presented in the graduate course of bio Grande, Res. Biohig. da Praia da Sul, 27 Nov. 1983, logical sciences at Santa Ursula University in D. Araujo et al. 5714 (GUA). Arraial do Cabo: 23 Mar. May, 1989. 1978, G. Martinelli et al. 4103 (RB). Cabo Frio: 9km ao norte do Rio Una, 28 Jun. 1983, D. Araujo 5625 1. Billbergia amoena (Loddiges) Lindley var. (GUA); Morro do Gaviao, 13 Dec. 1968, D. Sucre 3923 (RB). Casimiro de Abreu: Barra de Sao Joao, 23 amoena. Bot. Reg. 13:sub.pl. 1068. 1827. May 1964, P. Carauta 211 (RB); entre Barra de Sao TYPE. Loddiges Hortus in Lindley sin (Holo Joao e Tamoios, 28 Nov. 1964, E. Santos 2067, B. type, CGE; Photo, GH). Flaster 1104 (R,HB). Macae: Fazenda Crobixaes, 30 Syn.: B. amoena var. rubra Foster, Bull. Bro Jul. 1982, e. Farney 61 (RB); Pico do Frade, 16 Nov. 1982, G. Martinelli & e. Farney 8729. Marica: Praia meliad Soc. 6:76.1956. TYPE. Brazil: Espirito de ItaipuayU, 11 Apr. 1986, D. Araujo 7351 (GUA); Santo, Vit6ria, 13 Jul. 1939, Foster 2903 (Ho restinga de Barra de Marica, 9 May 1984, D. Araujo lotype, US). 6252. (GUA). Nova Friburgo: Mury, Macae de Cima, In the original description the variety was dis 25 Dec. 1986, G. Martinelli 11285 (RB). Petropolis: tinguished as having red leaves, but field surveys Araras, estr. pi Santa Catarina, 25 Jun. 1968, P.I.S. have shown this color to be a result of different Braga 1559 (RB); Valedas Videiras, 26 Nov. 1980, G. patterns of light intensity. Martinelli 7399 (RB). Resende: Parque Nacional do Plant very variable with 8-20 leaves, 19.0- Itatiaia, 15 Oct. 1948, P. Occhioni 1128 (RB). Rio de 90.0 em long, 2.5-5.5 em wide, ligulate, green, Janeiro: Serra do Mendanha, 23 Apr. 1973, D. Sucre 10097 (RB); Campo Grande,Rio daPrata, 6 Jui. 1977, reddish or white-spotted; sheaths large, elliptic; H.e. de Lima 111 (RB); ibidem, Rio da Prata do Ca apex rounded or acute, apiculate or not; margins bu~, 3 Jun. 1949, B. Lutz s.n. (R); Jacarepagua, 15 serrate or serrulate. Scape 0.3-0.5 cm in diam Dec. 1958, E. Pereira 4406 (RB); ibidem, 9 Jun. 1969, eter, erect or ascending, slender or stout, com D. Sucre et al. 5239 (RB); Gromari, 31 JuI. 1968, D. pletely glabrous or with some evanescent scales, Sucre 3379 (RB); restinga de Gromari, 24 May 1982, green or reddish. Scape bracts suberect, elliptic; D. Sucre 5071 (GUA); Recreio dos Bandeirantes, praia apex apiculate or acuminate, reddish to pink ex de Gromari, 16 Oct. 1986, T. Wendt et al. 17 (RB); posing the scape. Inflorescence 2.0-14.0 cm long, ibidem, Pedra de Ita(ma, 22 Jui. 1965, N. Santos et al. usually compound but sometimes simple, lax, 5868 (R); Recreio, Lagoa dos Tachas, 16 Jun. 1963, N. Santos 502 (R). Santa Maria Madalena: Parque Es nearly glabrous; primary bracts like scape bracts. tadual do Desengano, 19 Nov. 1986, G. Martinelli et Floral bracts 0.1 cm long, the upper ones reni al. 11729 (RB); ibidem, 3 Mar. 1934, Santos Lima & form, apiculate. Flowers 3.5-7.5 cm long, sessile. Brade 13372 (RB). Sao Joao da Barra: 3 Oct. 1963, Sepals 1.7-3.0 cm long, narrowly elliptic to ob A.e. Brade 1585, M. Emmerich 1574 (R). Saquarema: long; apex blue, acute or minutely acuminate with restinga de Ipitangas, 24 Mar. 1987, T. Fontoura et al. white evanescent scales; lower part greenish. Pet- 74 (RB); ibidem, 19 May 1987, T. Fontoura et al. 137 79 80 SELBYANA [Volume 15(2) (RB). Teresopolis: Guarani, 4 Dec. 1929, A. e. Brade leaves and flowers" but this appearance is pro 9581 (R). duced by a chemical substance on the voucher specimen to avoid insect predation. 2. Billbergia tweedieana Baker var. tweedieana. Leaves few (to 13), forming a tubular rosette, Handb. Brome1.73. 1889. 22.0-96.0 cm long, 3.0-5.5 cm wide, ligulate, often white-banded on lower part; sheaths ellip TYPE. Brazil: Rio de Janeiro. Ca. 1832, Twee tic to oblong-elliptic and sometimes purplish die 13 13 (Holotype, K; Photo, GH). covered with a membrane of fused scales; apex Syn.: Billbergia tweedieana var. minor Smith, acute, acuminate or apiculate; margins laxly ser Smithsonian Misc. Collect., 126:22. 1955. TYPE. rulate or serrate. Scape ca. 0.5 cm in diameter, Brazil: Espirito Santo. Santa Tereza, sid, Foster erect, stout, white lanuginous. Scape bracts erect, 277 (Holotype, GH; Isotype, R!, US). imbricate and the upper ones clustered beneath The varieties were based on length and apex the inflorescence, elliptic, pink or rose with an of sepals. Nevertheless these characteristics can acute apex. Inflorescence rarely exceeding 10.0 be observed overlapping one another; i.e., sepal cm long, erect, simple, corymbose or short cy length may range from 1.6 cm to 2.4 cm with lindric, densely white lanuginous. Floral bracts acute apex. very small, ovate, acute, often hidden by the la Plant forming a tubular small or large rosette. nuginous indument. Flowers 5.0-7.5 cm long, Leaves 60.0-150.0 cm long, 5.5-7.5 cm wide, sessile. Sepals 1.1-2.0 cm long, short-connate or ligulate to narrowly triangular, green, concolor free, lepidote, slightly asymmetric, oblong with ous when dry; sheaths sometimes reddish, nar an obtuse or obtuse-apiculate apex, pale red. Pet row and sometimes indistinct, covered with ap als 4.0-6.0 cm long, red, contorted after anthesis, pressed scales on both sides; apex rounded or apex blue, obtuse, lower part red, adaxially with apiculate but often decayed; margins serrate with two fimbriate scales and two calli. Ovary 0.7-1.5 spines 0.1-0.2 cm long. Scape stout, about 0.5 cm long, cylindric, lanuginous; epigynous tube cm in diameter, green. Scape bracts enfold the short. scape, narrowly elliptic; apex acute or acute-acu Flowering from February to April, July, Sep minate, papyraceous, pink, white-lepidote. In tember to December. Habit: epiphytic, rupico florescence 21.0-24.0 cm long, compound, laxly lous, saxicolous, terrestrial; habitat: Atlantic rain paniculate, lepidote or glabrous. Primary bracts forest and sand dunes of the coastal plains. like the scape bracts, large; Lower branches lax, longer than 8.0 cm. Flowers 5.0-7.0 cm long, EXAMINED MATERIAL. Cabo Frio: caminho pi Araya, sessile. Sepals 1.6-2.4 cm long, asymmetric, 24 Apr. 1979, J.P.P. Carauta 3097 (GUA). Nova Fri burgo: Macae de Cima 27 Nov. 1986, G. Martinelli et scarsely lepidote or glabrous, green. Petals 3.5- al. 11950 (RB). Nova Iguayu: Serra da Bandeira, 17 5.3 cm long, blue at upper part and greenish Dec. 1977, D. Araujo et al. 1867 (GUA). Petropolis: below, adaxially with only two scales not hori antiga estrada pi Petropolis, 10 Jul. 1978, G. Martinelli zontally appressed. Ovary about 1.5 cm long, 4691 (RB); 10 Distrito, Meio da Serra, 9 Mar. 1978, cylindric; epyginous tube almost lacking; fruit G. Martinelli 4031 (RB); Araras, base da Pedra Maria ellipsoid, sulcate. Comprida, 23 Mar. 1968, D. Sucre 2580, P.l.S. Braga Flowering in January, March, September and 412 (RB); Mata do Judeu, 7 Dec. 1968, D. Sucre et at. October. Habit: saxicolous and terrestrial; hab 4234 (RB). Rio de Janeiro: vertente Oeste do Morro itat: sand dunes on the coastal plain. do Sumare, 8 Feb. 1969, D. Sucre 4692 RB); Estrada da Vista Chinesa, Dec. 1983, A. Aguiar s.n. (GUA); EXAMINED MATERIAL. Cabo Frio: Restinga do Pero, Barra da Tijuca, Nov. 1936, Brade 15483 (RB). 17 Nov. 1968, D. Sucre 3696 (RB); Morro do Farol da Lagoinha, 29 Oct. 1986, D. Araujo & H.e. de Lima 7545 (GUA); Armac;ao de Btizios, 11 Jan. 1979, G. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION Martinelli et al. 5575 (RB). Three synonymies are proposed: Billbergia amoena var. amoena (syn.: B. amoena var. ru 3. Billbergia pyramidalis (Sims) Lindley var. bra); B. tweedieana (syn.: B. tweediana var. mi pyramidalis. Bot. Reg. 13:sub.pl.1068. 1827. nor); B. pyramidalis var. pyramidalis (syn.: B. TYPE. Sims Hortus S.n. sid ("Description and pyramidalis var. vernicosa). plate"). Other billbergias including B. euphemiae E. Syn.: Billbergia pyramidalis var. vernicosa E. Morren, B. morelii Brongniart, B. lymanii Pe Pereira, Bradea 2 (47):308.1979. TYPE. Brazil: reira & Leme, B. lietzii E. Morren need to be Rio de Janeiro, Nova Friburgo, Amparo, 27 Jul. more closely studied as variations of the sepals 1976, F. Dungs 34 (HB!) and pedicels of certain specimens have been ob In the original description, B. pyramidalis var. served. Some of these collections are possible vernicosa is described as presenting "brilliant new taxa. 1994] FONTOURA: SYNONYMIES IN BILLBERGIA 81 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS MEZ C. 1935. Bromeliaceae. In Engler, Das Pllan zenreich 4(32):1-667. Thanks to Harry Luther from The Marie Selby PEREIRA E. 1979. Species novae in Bmsilia brome Botanical Gardens and Andrea Costa from Jar Jiacearum-XIV. Bmdea 2: 37-312. dim Botanico do Rio de Janeiro for invaluable -- AND E.M.C. LEME. 1984. Species novae in comments and criticism. Brasilia bromeliacearum-XXIV. Bradea 4: 69- 76. --AND --. 1985. Species novae in Brasilia LITERATURE CITED bromeliacearum-XXV. Bradea 4: 129-132. PEREIRA E. AND J.L. MOUTINHO. 1981. Species novae LEME E.M.C AND W. WEBER. 1984. Billbergia pyr in Bmsilia bromeliacearum-XVIII. Bradea 3: amidalis var. lutea. J. Bromeliad Soc. 34: 79-80. 209-220. MEZ C 1892. Bromeliaceae. In CF.P. von Martius, SMITH L.B. AND R.J. DoWNS. 1979. Bromelioideae A.W. Eichler & I. Urban, F10m Brasiliensis. Part (Bromeliaceae). In F10m Neotropica, Monogr. 14, 3:288-426. part 3: 1975-2036.