Mexico – Jalisco • La Huerta, Boca de Iguanas; 19°18’24.65”N, 104°49’13.79”W; 21 m; 21 Jul. 2022; R. Hernández-Cárdenas, A. Flores-Argüelles & S. Lara-Godínez 2626♂; holotype: UAMIZ [3 sheets: UAMIZ90042, UAMIZ90043, UAMIZ90044].

This new species is similar to H. reticulata differing in the length of the leaf blades (22–35 vs 65–85 cm), the arrangement of the staminate inflorescence (twice branched vs once branched), the indument of its peduncle (glabrous vs sparsely lepidote), the shape of its sepals (ovate vs obtuse) and petals (elliptic to ovate vs oblong); the length of the pistillate inflorescence (155–168 vs 250–260 cm), and the shape of its sepals (ovate vs deltate) and petals (oblong to ovate vs lanceolate).

Plants saxicolous, in flower 110–200 cm tall, rosettes 20–30 cm tall, 40–50 cm diameter, forming clumps of 3–5 rosettes. Leaves 13–18, recurved towards the apex; sheaths yellowish-green, brownish-yellow to pale brown when dry, widely depressed ovate to depressed ovate, 3–3.5 cm long, 3.5–5.5 cm wide, with minute marginal sharp teeth, glabrous near the base and lepidote distally on the abaxial surface, glabrous on the adaxial surface; blades yellowish-green, brownish-yellow when dry, narrowly triangular, 22–35 cm long, 3–4 cm wide at the base, long attenuate, white lepidote on the abaxial surface, glabrous on the adaxial surface, margin with divaricate to ascending sharp teeth, brownish-yellow, 3–7 mm long, 2.5–4 mm wide, 1–1.5 cm apart. Inflorescences terminal, erect, twice branched in staminate and pistillate plants. Staminate inflorescence 90–130 cm tall; peduncle green, brown when dry, terete, 0.8–1 cm diameter, glabrous, internodes 3.5–8 cm long; peduncle bracts brownish-green to greenish-purple, brownish-purple when dry, foliaceous, sheaths triangular, 2–2.5 cm long, 1.5–2 cm wide, glabrous near the base and lepidote towards the apex on both surfaces, hyaline at the margin, blades linear, 5.5–11.5 cm long, 0.2–0.5 cm wide, lepidote on the abaxial surface, slightly lepidote on the adaxial surface, entire, the basal ones larger than the internodes, the upper ones shorter; primary bracts brown, narrowly triangular, 2.3–4 cm long, 0.6–1.1 cm wide when extended, caudate, entire and hyaline at the margin, glabrous on the adaxial surface, glabrous near the base and slightly lepidote towards the apex on the abaxial surface; primary spikes 13–16, terete, 10–17 cm long, 0.8–1 cm in diameter; secondary spikes 22–27, terete, 2–4.5 cm long, 0.8–1 cm in diameter; floral bracts greenish-brown, brownish-purple when dry, triangular, 2.5–3 mm long, 1.5–2 mm wide, longer than the pedicels, acute, entire to erose at the margin, glabrous on both surfaces. Staminate flowers numerous; pedicels 0.5–1.5 mm long; sepals green with a brown apex, pale green with purple spots when dry, ovate, 2.1–3 mm long, 1.9–2.3 mm wide, obtuse, entire to slightly erose, glabrous on both surfaces; petals white, greenish-white to brownish-white when dry, elliptic to ovate, 3.4–4.2 mm long, 2.6–3.5 mm wide, rounded to obtuse at the apex, entire, glabrous on both surfaces; stamens equal in length; filaments white, narrowly oblong, flattened, 3–4.4 mm long; anthers green in living material, greenish-brown when dry, oblong, 0.9–1.8 mm long, versatile; pistillode inconspicuous, green, brown when dry, glabrous. Pistillate inflorescence 155–170 cm long; peduncle green, brown when dry, terete, 0.8–1.2 cm in diameter, glabrous, internodes 6–8 cm long; peduncle bracts greenish-purple, brownish-white to whitish-purple when dry, foliaceous, sheaths triangular, 4.7–5.1 cm long, 2.1–3 cm wide, glabrous near the base and lepidote towards the apex on the abaxial surface, glabrous on the adaxial surface, hyaline at the margin, blades linear to narrowly oblong, 2.4–7.7 cm long, 3.3–5.2 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 brown, brownish-purple when dry, triangular, 0.7–4.5 cm long, 0.2–1.2 cm wide when extended, caudate, entire and hyaline at the margin, glabrous near the base and lepidote towards the apex on the abaxial surface, glabrous on the adaxial surface; primary spikes 35–40, terete, 10–15 cm long, 1.2–1.5 cm in diameter; secondary spikes 30–40, terete, 2–6 cm long, 1.2–1.5 cm in diameter; floral bracts brownish-white, brown when dry, widely ovate, 2.2–3.9 mm long, 1.8–2.9 mm wide, longer or equal than the pedicels, caudate to mucronate, entire to erose at the margin, glabrous on both surfaces. Pistillate flowers numerous; pedicels 1–3 mm long; sepals greenish-brown, brown with purple spots when dry, ovate, 1.9–2.9 mm long, 1.6–2.6 mm wide, acute to obtuse, entire, glabrous on both surfaces; petals white, brownish-white when dry, oblong to triangular, 4–4.6 mm long, 1.6–2.3 mm wide, obtuse to acute, entire, glabrous on both surfaces; staminodes white, narrowly triangular, 3.1–3.9 mm long; ovary superior, green, brown when dry, oblong, 3.9–4.6 mm long, 2.1–3 mm diameter, glabrous; stylar branches white, brown when dry, recurved, slender, 1.1–1.4 mm long, stigma papillose. Capsules not seen.

Figure 2. 

Hechtia costalegrensis. A. Habitat. B. Detail of the rosettes. C. Plants at the type locality. D. Detail of the staminate spike. E. Detail of the pistillate spike. F. Staminate flower. F1. Floral bract. F2. Sepals. F3. Petals. F4. Stamens. G. Pistillate flower. G1. Floral bract. G2. Sepals. G3. Petals. G4. Pistil. Photographs A–E by Alejandra Flores-Argüelles; F–G by Rodrigo Hernández-Cárdenas.

Hechtia costalegrensis is known so far from the type locality in the municipality of La Huerta, in the Pacific Lowlands biogeographic province (Fig. 3). It grows on southeast-facing rocky slopes exposed to sea breeze in tropical deciduous forest. Hechtia costalegrensis forms large colonies along with Agave colimana Gentry, Bursera sp., Mammillaria mazatlanensis K.Schum., Stenocereus standleyi (Ortega) Buxb., and other species, at elevations from 20 to 40 m.

Figure 3. 

Distribution map of Hechtia chamelensis, H. costalegrensis, H. ibugana, H. iltisii, H. jaliscana, H. laevis, H. pacifica, H. pedicellata, H. reticulata, H. santanae, and H. subalata. Biogeographic provinces according to Morrone et al. (2017).

The plants of H. costalegrensis bloom from July to August.

The specific epithet refers to the group of beaches, called Costalegre, located between Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco and Manzanillo, Colima.

MEXICO – Jalisco • La Huerta, Boca de Iguanas; 19°18’24.24”N, 104°49’14.20”W; 24 m; 27 Jul. 2021; A. Flores-Argüelles & G. Contreras 1298♀; UAMIZ; • La Huerta, Boca de Iguanas; 18 Aug. 2021; S. Rosales 1♂; IBUG • same data as for preceding; S. Rosales 2♀; IBUG.

Hechtia costalegrensis also differs from H. reticulata in the width of the leaf blade sharp teeth (2.5–4 vs 4–7 mm), in the length of the staminate inflorescence (90–130 vs 190–210 cm), in the number of its primary spikes (3–16 vs 35–40), in the size of its floral bracts (2.5–3 × 1.5–2 vs 3.8–4.2 × 2.5–3 mm); and in the size of the pistillate floral bracts (2.2–3.9 × 1.8–2.9 vs 3.7–4.2 × 2.9–3.3 mm), in addition to the characters cited in the diagnosis. For other details, see also Table 1.

Mexico – Jalisco • La Huerta, La Manzanilla; 19°16’43.64”N, 104°47’32.97”W; 11 m, 20 Jul. 2022; R. Hernández-Cárdenas, A. Flores-Argüelles & S. Lara-Godínez 2625♀; holotype: UAMIZ [8 sheets: UAMIZ90034, UAMIZ90035, UAMIZ90036, UAMIZ90037, UAMIZ90038, UAMIZ90039, UAMIZ90040, UAMIZ90041]; isotype: IBUG.

This new species is similar to H. reticulata differing in the length of the staminate inflorescence (150–170 vs 190–210 cm), the indument of its peduncle (glabrous vs sparsely lepidote), the shape of its petals (ovate to widely ovate vs oblong); the number of the primary spikes of the pistillate inflorescence (60–75 vs 30–40), and the shape of its petals (narrowly oblong vs lanceolate).

Plants saxicolous, in flower 170–300 cm tall, rosettes 20–35 cm tall, 50–60 cm diameter, solitary or forming clumps of 3–6 rosettes. Leaves 20–30, recurved towards the apex; sheaths whitish-brown to yellowish-white, depressed ovate, 5–6 cm long, 6.5–8.5 cm wide, with minute marginal sharp teeth, glabrous near the base and lepidote distally on both surfaces; blades purplish-green to yellowish-green, brownish-yellow when dry, narrowly triangular, 50–70 cm long, 4.5–5.5 cm wide at the base, long attenuate, lepidote on the abaxial surface, glabrous on the adaxial surface, margin with divaricate to ascending sharp teeth, yellowish-brown, 5–7 mm long, 5–7 mm wide, 1–1.5 cm apart. Inflorescences terminal, erect, once branched in staminate and pistillate plants. Staminate inflorescence 150–170 cm tall; peduncle green brown, brown when dry, terete, 0.9–1.1 cm diameter, glabrous, internodes 4–7 cm long; peduncle bracts brown, greyish-brown when dry, foliaceous, sheaths triangular, 0.5–1 cm long, 1–2 cm wide, glabrous on both surfaces, hyaline at the margin, only the basal ones with linear blades, 1–18 cm long, 0.3–0.8 cm wide, lepidote on both surfaces, entire, the basal ones larger than the internodes, the upper ones shorter; primary bracts brown in living and dry material, triangular, 0.9–2 cm long, 0.5–0.8 cm wide when extended, caudate, entire and hyaline at the margin, glabrous on both surfaces; primary spikes 35–55, terete, 8–17 cm long, 1.2–1.5 cm in diameter; floral bracts purplish-brown, brown when dry, widely ovate to very widely ovate, 3–3.3 mm long, 2.7–3 mm wide, longer than the pedicels, apiculate, entire to erose at the margin, glabrous on both surfaces. Staminate flowers numerous; pedicels 0.6–1 mm long; sepals greenish-pink, whitish-brown when dry, widely elliptic, 2.7–3 mm long, 2.5–2.8 mm wide, obtuse, entire, glabrous on both surfaces; petals white, brownish-white when dry, ovate to widely ovate, 5.7–6 mm long, 4.3–4.5 mm wide, obtuse at the apex, entire, glabrous on both surfaces; stamens equal in length; filaments white, narrowly oblong, flattened, 5–5.3 mm long; anthers rose, brown when dry, oblong, 1.5–1.8 mm long, versatile; pistillode conspicuous, purple cream, brown when dry, glabrous. Pistillate inflorescence 235–265 cm long; peduncle purplish-brown, brown when dry, terete, 0.9–1.1 cm in diameter, glabrous, internodes 2–6 cm long; peduncle bracts brownish-purple, brown when dry, sheaths triangular, 0.3–0.6 cm long, 0.5–1 cm wide, glabrous on both surfaces, hyaline at the margin, only the basal ones with linear blades, 1–5 cm long, 0.1–0.3 cm wide, lepidote on both surfaces, entire, the basal ones larger than the internodes, the upper ones shorter; primary bracts brown in living and dry material, triangular, 1.2–2 cm long, 0.4–0.5 cm wide when extended, caudate, entire and hyaline at the margin, glabrous on both surfaces; primary spikes 60–75, terete, 10–20 cm long, 0.7–1 cm in diameter; floral bracts brownish-green, brown when dry, widely ovate, 2.9–3.3 mm long, 2.6–3 mm wide, longer than the pedicels, acute, entire to erose at the margin, glabrous on both surfaces. Pistillate flowers numerous; pedicels 1–1.5 mm long; sepals brown with purple spots, brown when dry, ovate, 2.9–3.3 mm long, 2.1–2.5 mm wide, acute, entire, glabrous on both surfaces; petals white, brown when dry, narrowly oblong to narrowly triangular, 6.1–6.5 mm long, 2.2–2.6 mm wide, obtuse to acute, entire, glabrous on both surfaces; staminodes rudimentary, white, narrowly triangular, 3.3–3.6 mm long; ovary superior, purplish-green, brown when dry, oblong, 3.8–4.2 mm long, 1.8–2.2 mm diameter, glabrous; stylar branches purple, brown when dry, recurved, slender, 2–2.4 mm long, stigma papillose. Capsules green, brown when dry, ovoid, 8.7–11.3 mm long, 4.5–5 mm in diameter, with prominent longitudinal ridges or creases, glabrous; seeds reddish-brown, fusiform, 4–6 mm long, caudate.

Figure 4. 

Hechtia pacifica. A–C. Plants at the type locality. D. Detail of the rosettes. E. Detail of the staminate spike. E. Detail of the staminate spike. F. Detail of the pistillate spike. G. Staminate flower. G1. Floral bract. G2. Sepals. G3. Petals. G4. Stamens. H. Pistillate flower. H1. Floral bract. H2. Sepals. H3. Petals. H4. Pistil. Photographs A–F by Alejandra Flores-Argüelles; G–H by Rodrigo Hernández-Cárdenas.

Hechtia pacifica is known so far from the type locality in the municipality of La Huerta, in the Pacific Lowlands biogeographic province (Fig. 3). It grows on northwest-facing rocky slopes exposed to sea breeze in tropical deciduous forest. Hechtia pacifica forms large colonies along with Cascabela ovata (Cav.) Lippold, Tabernaemontana sp., Mammillaria sp., and other species at low elevations from near sea level to 11 m.

The plants of H. pacifica bloom in July and set fruit in August.

The specific epithet refers to the proximity of populations of this species to the Pacific Ocean.

MEXICO – Jalisco • La Huerta, La Manzanilla; 19°16’43.64”N, 104°47’32.97”W; 11 m; 20 Jul. 2022; R. Hernández-Cárdenas, A. Flores-Argüelles & S. Lara-Godínez 2624♂; UAMIZ, IBUG.

Hechtia pacifica shares some similarities with H. reticulata including the floral bracts of the staminate inflorescence (longer than the pedicels); and the pistillate inflorescence (once branched). However, H. pacifica differs from H. reticulata in the length of the leaf sheath (5–6 vs 7–10 cm), in the length of the staminate floral bracts (3.0–3.3 vs 3.8–4.2 mm), in the size of its petals (5.7–6 × 4.3–4.5 vs 4.5–4.8 × 3.1–3.5 mm); in the shape of the pistillate floral bracts (widely ovate vs triangular), and in the size of its petals (6.1–6.5 × 2.2–2.6 vs 4.2–4.8 × 1.6–2.0 mm), in addition to the characters cited in the diagnosis. For other details, see also Table 1.

Mexico – Colima • Manzanillo [along the ocean just above high tide and extending back to the base of the mountains, 2 to 18 Mar. 1891 (see Rose 1895)]; E. Palmer 1352; holotype: GH [GH00275619]; isotypes: F [V0077707F, V0077708F], US [00089102, 01095364].

Mexico – Colima • Manzanillo, ca 3 km sobre el camino La Central-Peña Blanca, a partir de la carretera Manzanillo-Cihuatlán; 19°07’57.9”N, 104°26’54.6”W; 200 m; 19 Jul. 2022; R. Hernández-Cárdenas, A. Flores-Argüelles & S. Lara-Godínez 2618♀; UAMIZ [8 sheets: UAMIZ89782, UAMIZ89783, UAMIZ89784, UAMIZ89785, UAMIZ89786, UAMIZ89787, UAMIZ89788, UAMIZ89789].

Plants saxicolous or terrestrial, in flower 170–360 cm tall, rosettes 80–100 cm tall, 60–80 cm diameter, solitary or forming clumps of 3–6 rosettes. Leaves 10–20, recurved towards the apex; sheaths purplish-grey, whitish-brown to yellowish-white when dry, widely depressed ovate to widely ovate, 7–10 cm long, 7–11 cm wide, with minute marginal sharp teeth, glabrous near the base and lepidote distally on the abaxial surface, glabrous on the adaxial surface; blades purplish-green to greyish-purple, pale brown when dry, narrowly triangular, 65–85 cm long, 3.5–5.5 cm wide at the base, long attenuate, lepidote on the abaxial surface, glabrous on the adaxial surface, margin with divaricate to ascending sharp teeth, yellowish-brown, 5–7 mm long, 4–7 mm wide, 2–3 cm apart. Inflorescences terminal, erect, once branched in pistillate plants, twice branched in staminate plants. Staminate inflorescence 190–210 cm tall; peduncle green, brown when dry, terete, 1.1–1.3 cm diameter, sparsely lepidote, internodes 5–8 cm long; peduncle bracts whitish-grey to greenish-grey, whitish-brown when dry, foliaceous, sheaths triangular, 1–2 cm long, 1.5–3 cm wide, lepidote on both surfaces, hyaline at the margin and with minute marginal sharp teeth, blades linear, 4–16 cm long, 0.6–1 cm wide, decreasing in size distally, lepidote on both surfaces, entire and spinose, the basal ones larger than the internodes, the upper ones shorter; primary bracts greenish-brown, whitish-brown when dry, triangular to narrowly triangular, 1.5–4 cm long, 0.4–1 cm wide when extended, caudate, entire, hyaline, erose to spinose at the margin, lepidote on both surfaces; primary spikes 35–40, terete, 15–25 cm long, 1.2–1.5 cm in diameter; secondary spikes 40–50, terete, 6–10 cm long, 1.2–1.5 cm in diameter; floral bracts brown in living material and dry, triangular to widely ovate, 3.8–4.2 mm long, 2.5–3 mm wide, longer than the pedicels, apiculate to acute, entire to erose at the margin, glabrous on both surfaces. Staminate flowers numerous; pedicels 0.8–1.1 mm long; sepals greenish-brown, whitish-brown when dry, ovate to widely ovate, 2.3–2.7 mm long, 2–2.3 mm wide, obtuse, entire, glabrous on both surfaces; petals white, whitish-brown when dry, oblong, 4.5–4.8 mm long, 3.1–3.5 mm wide, obtuse at the apex, entire, glabrous on both surfaces; stamens equal in length; filaments white, narrowly oblong, flattened, 4.1–4.7 mm long; anthers green, brown to pale green when dry, oblong, 1.8–2.2 mm long, versatile; pistillode conspicuous, white rose, brown when dry, glabrous. Pistillate inflorescence 250–260 cm long; peduncle green, brown when dry, terete, 1.9–2 cm in diameter, glabrous, internodes 2–6 cm long; peduncle bracts greenish-grey to brownish-grey, greyish-white when dry, foliaceous, sheaths triangular, 1–2.5 cm long, 1–2 cm wide, glabrous on both surfaces, hyaline and spinose at the margin, blades linear to narrowly oblong, lepidote on both surfaces, entire, the basal ones larger than the internodes, the upper ones shorter; primary bracts brown, triangular, 1.5–3 cm long, 0.4–0.6 cm wide when extended, caudate, entire, hyaline and spinose at the margin, glabrous on the adaxial surface, lepidote on the abaxial surface; primary spikes 30–40, terete, 8–30 cm long, 1.5–1.8 cm in diameter; floral bracts whitish-green, whitish-brown when dry, triangular, 3.7–4.2 mm long, 2.9–3.3 mm wide, longer than the pedicels, acute, entire to erose at the margin, glabrous on the adaxial surface, lepidote on the abaxial surface. Pistillate flowers numerous; pedicels 2–2.5 mm long, sulcate; sepals brownish-green in living material, whitish-brown when dry, very widely ovate, 2.3–2.7 mm long, 2.2–2.5 mm wide, acute, entire, glabrous on both surfaces; petals white, brown when dry, lanceolate, 4.2–4.8 mm long, 1.6–2 mm wide, acuminate, entire, glabrous on both surfaces; staminodes rudimentary, white, narrowly triangular, 3.2–3.6 mm long; ovary superior, green, brown when dry, oblong, 4–4.4 mm long, 2–2.4 mm diameter, glabrous; stylar branches white, brown when dry, recurved, slender, 1.7–2 mm long, stigma papillose. Capsules brownish-dark when dry, ovoid, 7.5–11 mm long, 3–6.4 mm in diameter, with prominent longitudinal ridges or creases, glabrous; seeds reddish-brown, fusiform, 3.7–6.4 mm long, caudate.

Hechtia reticulata is only known from the municipality of Manzanillo in the state of Colima and belongs to the Pacific Lowlands biogeographic province (Figs 3, 5). It grows on rocky slopes in tropical deciduous forests forming colonies along with Agave colimana, Cochlospermum vitifolium (Willd.) Spreng., Pilosocereus purpusii (Britton & Rose) F.M.Knuth, and other species at elevations from sea level to around 200 m.

Figure 5. 

Hechtia reticulata. A–C. Plants at the type locality. D. Detail of the rosettes. E. Detail of the staminate spike. F. Staminate flower. F1. Floral bract. F2. Sepals. F3. Petals. F4. Stamens. G. Detail of the pistillate spike. H. Pistillate flower. H1. Floral bract. H2. Sepals. H3. Petals. H4. Pistil. Photographs A–C by Alejandra Flores-Argüelles; D–H by Rodrigo Hernández-Cárdenas.

Hechtia reticulata blooms from July to August.

MEXICO – Colima • Rocky cliffs southern end of Manzanillo Bay, vicinity of Manzanillo; 28 Nov. 1925; R.S. Ferris 6111♀; GH • Manzanillo, ca 3 km sobre el camino La Central-Peña Blanca, a partir de la carretera Manzanillo-Cihuatlán; 19°07’57.9”N, 104°26’54.6”W; 200 m; 19 Jul. 2022; R. Hernández-Cárdenas, A. Flores-Argüelles & S. Lara-Godínez 2619♂; UAMIZ • ca 3 km sobre el camino La Central-Peña Blanca, a partir de la carretera Manzanillo-Cihuatlán; 19°07’57.9”N, 104°26’54.6”W; 200 m; 6 May 2023; A. Flores-Argüelles & G. Contreras-Félix 1735♀; IBUG, UAMIZ.

The type specimens of Hechtia reticulata (holotype and isotypes) are composed only of fragments of mature pistillate inflorescences, collected by Edward Palmer in March 1891 so, in order to facilitate the precise application of the name, it was important to designate an epitype that included complete and representative material of the species. Specimens of Hechtia reticulata have been misidentified as H. laevis or H. laxissima. Nevertheless, H. reticulata differs from H. laevis in the length of the leaf sheath (7–10 vs 4–4.5 cm), in the size of the leaf blade (65–85 × 3.5–5.5 vs 20–60 × 2.5–3 cm), in the arrangement of the staminate inflorescence (once to twice branched vs once branched), in the length of its pedicels (0.8–1.1 vs 1.5–3 mm), and in the size of the floral bract of the pistillate inflorescence (3.7–4.2 × 2.9–3.3 vs 2 × 0.3–0.5 mm). Hechtia reticulata differs from H. laxissima in the number of leaves (10–20 vs > 20), in the length of the leaf blade (65–85 vs 40 cm), in the length of the sepals of the pistillate inflorescence (2.3–2.7 mm vs 3), and in the shape of its petals (lanceolate vs ovate). Hechtia reticulata is also similar to H. costalegrensis and H. pacifica, with which they were compared in this work. For more details, see Table 1. Lyman B. Smith described the fruits of H. reticulata as “capsula carpellis grosse irregulariterque reticulatis”. However, in all the examined specimens, including the types, the fruits are not reticulate. McVaugh (1989) noticed the same and mentioned that “I have not seen the holotype, but in other fruiting specimens (Ferris 6111) the carpels are not reticulate in the ordinary sense; they are provided with prominent longitudinal ridges (nerves) that are weakly and irregularly connected by smaller lateral nerves”. These ridges or creases could be due to the maturation or dehydration of the fruits and were also observed in the carpels of H. pacifica.