Guzmania panamensis (Bromeliaceae) – a new species from Talamanca Mountain in Veraguas province, Western Panama

Abstract Guzmania panamensis (Bromeliaceae), a new species so far endemic to Veraguas province, Western Panama, is described and illustrated. The new species is recognized due to its peduncle much longer than the leaves and its red floral bracts, shorter than the yellow flowers. The new species is compared to morphologically similar species, namely Guzmania monostachia, Guzmania berteroniana, Guzmania elvallensis, and Guzmania skotakii.

According to Luther (2010), the genus Guzmania Ruiz & Pav. (Bromeliaceae) has more than 200 species and is one of the most diverse genera in Tillandsioideae.
After the synopsis of the Bromeliaceae of Panama (see Cáceres González et al. 2011), it is clear that some areas of the country have not been suffi ciently collected, principally in Western (Cordillera de Talamanca) and Eastern Panama.
During a botanical excursion made in December 2012, an interesting specimen of Guzmania was collected in a premontane rain forest from Santa Fe National Park (Cordillera de Talamanca) in the Veraguas province. Th ese Guzmania plants are growing epiphytic, in the interior of the premontane rain forest, a few meters above the soil (close to the understory). It was found that the specimen did not match any of the known species of the genus and hence it is described and illustrated here as a new species of Guzmania from Western Panama.
Ecology. Th e new species grows in primary forest or old secondary forest, usually close to the understory and premontane rain forests at altitudes around 750 m.  (Fig. 1A). It was observed fl owering in December (start of the dry season).
Etymology. Guzmania panamensis is named in honour of Panama country. Conservation status. Guzmania panamensis has been collected only once in Panama. In the type locality area, only three individuals were observed and hence it is assumed to be uncommon. No other specimen could be found among the material that has been collected for seventy years, as part of the project Flora of Panama of the Missouri Botanical Garden, supporting the view that this taxon is rare even inside this national park. Similar habitats, surrounding the park have been visited by the author and no specimen similar to G. panamensis has been found in such areas. Th erefore, in the conservation assessment presented here (following IUCN 2001 guidelines), Guzmania panamensis is categorized as Critically Endangered (CR), represented by only a single distribution record and based on the criterium B2biii.
Observations. Four species have a close resemblance with Guzmania panamensis : Guzmania monostachia (L.) Rusby ex Mez, G. berteroniana (Schult. & Schult. f.) Mez, G. elvallensis Luther, and G. skotakii Luther. Th is new species resembles Guzmania monostachia (see Smith and Downs 1977, Mez 1896, Utley 1994, but diff ers from it by its larger size of the plant and the color of the fl oral bracts. Guzmania panamensis when fl owering reaches about 67 cm tall vs. 20-40 cm in G. monostachia . Th e peduncle of the new species is much longer than the leaves with red fl oral bracts and yellow fl owers; while in G. monostachia the peduncle is much shorter, the fl oral bracts are bright red or rarely white, and the fl owers are usually white with conspicuous brown longitudinal stripes. In Guzmania berteroniana the fl oral bracts exceed the sepals, and the sepals are 22 mm long (connate for 2 mm); while in G. panamensis the fl oral bracts are shorter than the fl owers (including the sepals), and the sepals are 25 mm long (connate for 6-7 mm).
Th is new species diff ers from the similar Guzmania elvallensis (Luther 1996), by the color of its petals (yellow vs. pale green). Another important feature is that in G. panamensis the fl oral bracts are red, whereas in G. elvallensis they are green.