CoP17 Prop. 51

Deletion of Tillandsia mauryana from Appendix II
Proponent: Mexico
Summary: Tillandsia mauryana is a bromeliad plant endemic to Mexico. It has a limited range in Hidalgo
State where it occurs on the vertical faces of limestone cliffs that are difficult to access. Surveys have located31 populations of this species but, due to site inaccessibility, it has only been possible to evaluate
abundance and population density in 9 of these. These contained between 3 and 304 individuals. Only asmall proportion of the population at each site reproduces each year and the overall population may bedecreasing1. Its range is located mainly in the Metztitlán Gully Biosphere Reserve, an area affected by rockmining, road building and urban development. The area’s management programme contains specific actions
for the protection of the species.
There are around 540 species of Tillandsia ranging from the southern USA to Argentina and Chile. A few
species are widely distributed, but most have limited ranges. Tillandsia species in general feature in thehorticultural plant trade. Some forms are artificially propagated in very large numbers and widely sold as
ornamental plants. Others are grown largely by enthusiasts. T. mauryana was included in Appendix II in1992 owing to concerns regarding the possible impact on it of wild-collection for international trade. The
original listing proposal at CoP8 covered all Tillandsia spp. At the CoP it was agreed to include only sevenspecies, including two from Mexico: T. mauryana and T. xerographica (the latter also found in Guatemala).
Since the species was listed, around 190 plants have been recorded in trade, mainly between Hungary andSwitzerland, and all reported as artificially propagated. No trade in this species has been recorded fromMexico, no exports of wild specimens have been reported and there is no evidence of ongoing wild collection
or illegal trade. The CITES Trade Database records a very small number of specimens of unidentified
Tillandsia spp. as confiscated by the USA (90 specimens between 1993 and 2014); some 175 Tillandsia spp.
occur in Mexico.
Artificial propagation of this species from seed is known to occur in nurseries in Germany and Hungary, andartificially propagated plants are offered for sale on the internet in a number of other countries, including theCzech Republic, Switzerland and the USA. Demand for this species by enthusiasts appears to be low andseems to be fully supplied by artificially propagated specimens.
Tillandsia mauryana is not similar to other CITES-listed Tillandsia species but does resemble other species
that are not listed in the Appendices.
This proposal has resulted from the Plants Committee’s Periodic Review process.
Analysis: It would appear that Tillandsia mauryana does not fulfil the criteria for inclusion in Appendix II as
regulation of trade is not required to prevent harvesting of specimens from the wild from threatening thesurvival of the species. No export of wild harvested plants has been recorded since the species was listed inAppendix II and it seems that the limited demand for specimens is met entirely with artificially propagatedplants. The species has not been subject to a recommendation under the provisions of the Review of
Significant Trade within the last two intervals between meetings of the Conference of the Parties. It seems
unlikely that its removal from the Appendices would stimulate trade in wild specimens such that it would meetthe criteria for listing in Appendix II in the near future, as outlined in the precautionary measures in Annex 4of Res. Conf. 9.24 (Rev. CoP16), nor is its retention required to ensure that trade in any other Appendix-II
listed species is effectively controlled.
References:
Information not referenced in the Summary section is from the Supporting Statement.
1 Valverde, T., Mondragón D., & Hernández-Apolinar, M. (2013) Evaluación de la situación de Tillandsia mauryana en el

Apéndice II de la CITES, según su estado de conservación y comercio. Informe final CONABIO proyecto KE003.
Facultad de Ciencias, UNAM. México.

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