Abies jaliscana (Pinaceae): A New Combination in the Section Grandis Farjon

& Rushforth

Mauricio R. Mantilla Blandón and J. Antonio Vázquez-García

Herbario IBUG, Instituto de Botánica, Departamento de Botánica y Zoología,

Universidad de Guadalajara. Km 15.5 carr. Guadalajara a Nogales, Las Agujas, Nextipac,
Zapopan 45110, Jalisco, México. mm.sbam@gmail.com y jvazquez@cucba.udg.mx

Ramón Cuevas G.

Instituto Manantlán de Ecología. Departamento de Ecología Universidad de Guadalajara,

Independencia 151, Autlán de Navarro Jalisco, México.

Fernando López-Dellamary

Instituto de Madera Celulosa y Papel, Universidad de Guadalajara,

Km 15.5 carr. Guadalajara Nogales, Las Agujas, Nextipac, Zapopan 45110
ferdellam@hotmail.com

ABSTRACT. Recent morphological and and A. jaliscana which separate them as

phenological data support the recognition of distinct species. Lenght and color of cones as
Abies jaliscana (Martínez) Mantilla & A. well as phenology are key characters to
Vázquez at the species level. separate these species.
Key words: Abies, Pinaceae, Mexico.
key to separate A. flinckii from A. jaliscana:
RESUMEN. Datos morfológicos y
fenológicos recientes apoyan el Cones oblong-conical, blunty pointed at the apex green-
reconocimiento de Abies jaliscana (Martínez) olive 10-16 x 4-4.5 cm; leaves pectinate below shoot 2-9
x 0.15-0.2 cm; receptive female strobili in pollination
Mantilla & A. Vázquez en la categoría de time 7 x 2.40 cm; Ovuliferous scale, flabellate, erose
especie. margins 2.5-2.7 x 3-4
Palabras clave: Abies, Pinaceae, México. cm......................................................................A. flinckii

Abies section Grandis Farjon &
Rushforth (1989) is characterized for narrow,
cylindric cones with a mainly obtuse apex with
green or olive (rarely bluish) colour during the
growing season, the bracts are included or
barely exserted in one taxon. A. flinckii has
most characters wich may be rudimentary; the
leaves are variable, but narrow and relatively
long in all taxa. Recent field research in
western Mexico (Mantilla 2006) support
relevant morphological, phenological and
geographical differences between A. flinckii
Cones subcilindric, ellipsoid, blunt at apex, green or
purplish, 5-12 x 2.5-3.5 cm, leaves 2-7.8 cm x 1.25-1.5
mm, receptive female strobili in pollination time 3.5 x
1.5 cm; ovuliferous scale, reniform, concave in the
beginning and reflexed outward 1.8-2 x 2-2.5 cm
........................................................................A.
jaliscana
Abies jaliscana (Martínez) Mantilla & A.
Vázquez, comb. nov. Basonym: Abies
guatemalensis Rehder. var. jaliscana Martinez.
Anales del Instituto de Biología. 13:2 (1948).
Tipo: México. Jalisco. Las Mesas cerca de
Cuale, Martínez 28500 [A. Q. González in
1947] (MEXU, the holotype, MICH).
Large tree, 20-30 m in heigth, up to 1 m
dbh, bark grayish brown, in age divided into
irregular plates; twigs redish brown, hirtellous,
sometimes densely so; leaves subdistichous, all
emarginate at apex, or somoe or all of them
obtuse or ralely acute, (20-) 35-50 mm long,
often longer (65-100 mm) in vigorous shoots.
1.25-1.5 mm wide, brigth green, glaucous
beneath; cones subcylindric or ellipsoid, blunt
at the apex, green or purplish to dark brown 6-
9 (12) cm long, 2.5-4 cm thick, on a short
peduncle up to 1 cm of lenght; scales thin, in
age (according to Martínez) reflexed,
transversely oblong (“reniform”), ca 2 cm wide
and 1.5 cm long, the lateral margins subentire
or somewhat iregularly erose; bracts included
(northern populations), two-thirds as long as
the scales or about equalling them, looks
exserting in completed cones cuneate, at base,
the distal margins denticulate, the tip
acuminate, terminating in a short point; seeds
cuneate, 6-7 mm long, with wing ca 9-10 mm
long and wide. Vascular bundles 2, sligthly
separated by a zone of thick cells; resins ducts
2, on the lower surface near the margins;
stomata on the lower surface 10-12 rows in 2
bans, on the upper surface near the tips in 3-4
discontinuous rows.
Habitat and distribution: Steep
mountainsides and humid ravines, (1630-)
1800-2700 m., only in western Jalisco. In
closer sierras facing the sea .
Phenology: Cones ripening in Spring
(April) pollination time in winter begining late
november), Seeds do not need freezing
temperatures to germinate and eventually
germinate inside the cones (in some cases). It
is reproductively isolated from all Abies
species, unique feature in the genus. The
reproductive phenology is similar to pines of.
Oocarpae group Martínez (1948), seed
dispersal is from late Spring to early Summer.
It is adapted to subtropical environments.
Relationships. A. jaliscana is related to
A. flinckii Rushforth, the later doesn´t bear
purplish cones, only green cones (Martínez
1948, Rushforth 1989 and Debreczy and Pérez
de la Rosa, pers. Comm., 2006). Isozyme
variation data show a remarkably high genetic
differenttiation among A. flinckii populations
(Aguirre et al. 2000). This supports our
proposal to recognize some populations,
particularly those at seaward facing slopes in
western Jalisco, as a distinct taxon, just as
Martinez (1949) did it,
Conservation status: Abies flinckii
includes both A. religiosa var. emarginata and
A. guatemalensis var. jaliscana (basonym of
the new combination, here proposed), it is
currently protected by the Mexican
Endangered Species Act (NOM-059-ECOL-
2001). Thus, in the light of these new results,
the name of Abies jaliscana must be included
as soon as posible in the mexican endangered
species act (NOM-059-ECOL-2001) with no
additional justification. In the meantime,
inferred from its taxonomic derivation all
populations of Abies in western México (here
considered as A. jaliscana, namely “oyamel de
Jalisco”), must continue under protection.
Currently, illegal loging activities are
diminishing populations of A. jaliscana,
specially at Altamina, Sierra de Cuale.
EXAMINADOS POR LOS AUTORES: Sn
Sebastián del Oeste, Cerro La Bufa, 2455 m,
20º 43” 8´ N, 104º 49” 31´ W, 4 May 2003
(mature cones), M. Mantilla-B. A. Sánchez-
Rodriguez & D. Ponce. 03 (IBUG). Talpa de
Allende, Cuale, 2400 m, 20º 22” 01.1´ N, 105º
01” 39´ W, 02 Jan 2005 (pollination time, no
seed cones), M. Mantilla B. & .D Jimeno S. 07
(IBUG); Monte Grande, 1636 m, 20º 14” 41.3
´ N, 104º 50” 01´ W, 01 Oct 2002 (__) M.
Mantilla B. & .D Jimeno S. 09 (IBUG).
Tomatlán, Cumbre de Guadalupe, 2179 m, 20º
12” 48.7´ N, 104 º 43” 47.8´ W, 10 Apr 2003
(mature cones), M. Mantilla-B., A. Sánchez-
Rodriguez & D. Jimeno S.l. 02 (IBUG). Villa
Purificación, Pabelo-Autlan 1764 m, 19º 54”
15.6´ N, 104 º 32” 53.6´ W, 31 Dec
2004______(__), M. M. Mantilla-B. & D.
Jimeno S. et al. 08, (IBUG). Autlán, Cacoma,
2028 m, 19 º 54” 54´ N, 104º 32” 15.4´ W, 31
Dec 2005 (pollination time, no seed cones), M.
Mantilla-B. & D. Jimeno S. 06 (IBUG).
Ackowledgements
To Dr. Jorge Perez de la Rosa for his
comments on the manuscript . To Dr. Zsolt
Debreczy, Dr. Istvan Racz, both from the
International Dendrological Research Institute
(IDRI, Boston, USA-Budapest, Hungría), for
his comments, financial support and for
sharing photodocumentation of their field
work.
Cited Literature
Aguirre-Planter, E., G. R. Furnier, y L. E.
Eguiarte 2000. American Journal of Botany
87(3): 362-371.
Rehder, Alfred 1939. The firs of Mexico and
Guatemala. Journal of the Arnold
Arboretum 20:281-287. 1939.
Martínez, M. 1949 [“1948”]. Anales del
Instituto de Biología, UNAM, 19: 11-10.
Mantilla B., M. 2006. Phenology of Abies
(Pinaceae) of western Jalisco. Bachelors
degree
thesis. Universidad de Guadalajara. Jalisco,
México. __ pp.
NOM-059-ECOL-2001. Diario Oficial de la
Federación.
McVaugh, R. 1992. Gimnosperms and
Pteridophytes. Flora Novo-Galiciana 17: 1-
467.
Farjon, A., & K. D. Rushforth. 1989. A
classification of Abies Miller (Pinaceae).
Notes Royal Botanic Garden Edinburg 46:
59-79.
Rushforth, K. D. 1989. Two new species of
Abies (Pinaceae) from western Mexico.
Notes Royal Botanic Garden Edinburg 46:
101-109.
A. A religiosa (may), with much longer decusate bracts; Abies flinckii (febrero),
intermediate and clearly exserted and decusate bracts, Abies jaliscana (nov.-dic., shorter
bracts,