Monographs Details:
Authority:
Smith, Lyman B. & Downs, Robert J. 1979. Bromelioideae (Bromeliaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 14 (3): 1493-2142. (Published by NYBG Press)
Smith, Lyman B. & Downs, Robert J. 1979. Bromelioideae (Bromeliaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 14 (3): 1493-2142. (Published by NYBG Press)
Family:
Bromeliaceae
Bromeliaceae
Description:
Description - Plant flowering to 1 m or higher. Leaves rosulate, 1-1.5 m long; sheaths ample, densely brown-lepidote, blades ligulate, acute or attenuate with a stiff terminal cusp, 510 cm wide, laxly serrate with antrorse brown spines, covered with inconspicuous, brown-centered scales. Scape erect, stout, densely farinose; scape-bracts erect and closely enveloping the scape, large, ovate, acute, mucronate, entire, obscurely brown-lepidote, rose. Inflorescence laxly thyrsoid from 10-20 stipitate heads, to 40 cm long; axes white-tomentulose, becoming glabrous; primary bracts broadly lanceolate, entire, bright red, the lower ones much exceeding the axillary branches; branches spreading, short and stout with few-flowered fascicles in terminal heads; secondary bracts like the floral bracts &nd scarcely larger. Floral bracts ovate, acute, pungent, exceeded by the sepals, broadly convex, entire, coriaceous, glabrous; flowers to 36 mm long, glabrous. Sepals strongly asymmetric, mucronate, 14 mm long; petals ligulate, flavous, bearing 2 scales at base; pollen more than 4-porate; ovary 10 mm long, trigonous; epigynous tube large; ovules caudate.
Description - Plant flowering to 1 m or higher. Leaves rosulate, 1-1.5 m long; sheaths ample, densely brown-lepidote, blades ligulate, acute or attenuate with a stiff terminal cusp, 510 cm wide, laxly serrate with antrorse brown spines, covered with inconspicuous, brown-centered scales. Scape erect, stout, densely farinose; scape-bracts erect and closely enveloping the scape, large, ovate, acute, mucronate, entire, obscurely brown-lepidote, rose. Inflorescence laxly thyrsoid from 10-20 stipitate heads, to 40 cm long; axes white-tomentulose, becoming glabrous; primary bracts broadly lanceolate, entire, bright red, the lower ones much exceeding the axillary branches; branches spreading, short and stout with few-flowered fascicles in terminal heads; secondary bracts like the floral bracts &nd scarcely larger. Floral bracts ovate, acute, pungent, exceeded by the sepals, broadly convex, entire, coriaceous, glabrous; flowers to 36 mm long, glabrous. Sepals strongly asymmetric, mucronate, 14 mm long; petals ligulate, flavous, bearing 2 scales at base; pollen more than 4-porate; ovary 10 mm long, trigonous; epigynous tube large; ovules caudate.