Aechmea recurvata (Klotzsch) L.B.Sm.
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Authority
Smith, Lyman B. & Downs, Robert J. 1979. Bromelioideae (Bromeliaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 14 (3): 1493-2142. (Published by NYBG Press)
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Family
Bromeliaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Description - Plant flowering 15-20 cm high. Leaves many in a dense rosette, very variable from sun to shade, the inner ones 25-40 cm long; sheaths very large, sometimes longer than the blades, ovate, much broader than the blades and forming an ellipsoid pseudobulb, entire, tinged with blue, densely lepidote on both sides with minute appressed whitish scales; blades narrowly triangular, abruptly spreading or recurving from the junction with the sheaths, 1-2 cm wide, strongly channeled, thick, green, laxly serrate with curved spines 2 mm long, densely pale-lepidote beneath, nearly glabrous above. Scape short, completely hidden by the leaf-sheaths. Inflorescence simple, densely ellipsoid or obovoid, rather few-flowered, sparsely white-flocculose or glabrous. Floral bracts ovate, acuminate, pungent, equaling or slightly exceeding the sepals, red; flowers sessile, erect, 35-45 mm long. Sepals slightly asymmetric, obtuse, 11-15 mm long without the 4 mm long terminal spine, connate more than 1/3, slightly carinate; petals erect, ligulate, obtuse, to 3 cm long, purple or rose, bearing 2 fimbriate scales at base; stamens included; pollen biporate; ovary ellipsoid, epigynous tube large; placentae subcentral; ovules acute.