Bromelia antiacantha Bertol.

  • Authority

    Smith, Lyman B. & Downs, Robert J. 1979. Bromelioideae (Bromeliaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 14 (3): 1493-2142. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Bromeliaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Bromelia antiacantha Bertol.

  • Type

    Type. Typified by original description and later plate.

  • Synonyms

    Bromelia acanga Willd., Bromelia commeliniana de Vriese, Bromelia sceptrum Fenzl, Agallostachys antiacantha (Bertol.) Beer, Bromelia fastuosa Lindl., Bromelia pinguin L., Hechtia longifolia Baker ex

  • Description

    Description - Plant flowering to 3 m high, propagating by stout rhizomes to 1 m long; leaves to 100 or more in a dense rosette, not narrowed between sheath and blade, to 3 m long; outer sheaths short, broadly subtriangular, covered toward apex with linear brown scales, inner sheaths large, elliptic, pale, pale-flocculose; outer blades linear, attenuate, pungent, 20-35 mm wide, laxly serrate with stout antrorse and retrorse curved spines to 8 mm long, glabrous above, minutely pale-lepidote between the nerves beneath, green, the inner blades red and smaller. Scape usually short but always evident, stout, densely white-flocculose; scape-bracts like the inner leaves, very densely imbricate. Inflorescence subcylindric, dense or sublax, 2-10 dm long, 6-30 cm in diameter, minutely white-flocculose except for the petals; primary bracts like the scape-bracts the uppermost bladeless, the lowest much exceeding the branches; branches erect or suberect, from a few fasciculate flowers to 12 racemose ones. Floral bracts broadly subelliptic, obtuse or acute, 6-10 mm long, shorter than the ovary, entire, whitish, submembranaceous; pedicels rather slender, those of the lower flowers to 1 cm long; flowers 35-40 mm long. Sepals free, erect, elliptic or oblong, obtuse or broadly subacute, slightly if at all carinate, nearly flat, 6-13 mm long, submembranaceous, entire; petals erect, oblong, obtuse, 25-30 mm long, short-connate with the filaments, purple, glabrous; stamens included; ovary cylindric. Fruit ovoid or ellipsoid, to 50 mm long, 25 mm in diameter.

  • Common Names

    Banana do mato

  • Distribution

    Restinga (coastal scrub) or forest, from near sea level to 1000 m alt, southeastern Brazil and Uruguay.

    Brazil South America| Rio de Janeiro Brazil South America| Guanabara Brazil South America| São Paulo Brazil South America| Paraná Brazil South America| Santa Catarina Brazil South America| Rio Grande do Sul Brazil South America| Uruguay South America| Rocha Uruguay South America| Maldonado Uruguay South America|