Seven New Species of Hechtia (Bromeliaceae; Hechtioideae) from Puebla, Mexico.

The genus Hechtia includes 91 species (with those described herein), 88 of them present in Mexico, and the entire genus is endemic to the region termed Megaméxico 3 by Rzedowski. With 21 species, the Mexican state of Puebla is the second most species rich. As a result of botanical exploration for the project Bromeliaceae of Mexico, we describe here seven new species, all endemic to Puebla: Hechtia anarosae, H. dasylirioides, H. espejoana, H. longissimifolia, H. microcarpa, H. minimiflora, and H. vicesphaeroblasta. The proposed species are compared with morphologically similar taxa (H. caulescens, H. ensifolia, H. flexilifolia, H. fragilis, H. podantha, and H. sphaeroblasta). Morphological descriptions, images, and a map with distributions of the described taxa are included, as well as an identification key and a list of specimens examined of all the species of Hechtia currently known from the state of Puebla. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]