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 propagating by stolons, flowering over 1 m high. Leaves very many in a dense spreading rosette, not constricted between sheath and blade, over 1 m long; sheaths elliptic, large; blades linear, attenuate, 25 mm wide, glabrous above, closely pale-lepidote beneath, laxly serrate with antrorse spines. Scape erect, stout; scape-bracts like the inner leaves, erect, imbricate. Inflorescence paniculate, densely cylindric, 18-22 cm long, 7-9 cm in diameter; axes densely vestite with fine white to allutaceous tomentum; primary bracts large, covering most of the flowers; branches to 10-flowered, very dense with little or no sterile base. Floral bracts linear-subelliptic, rounded-truncate, ca 30 mm long, 8 mm wide, equaling the centers of the sepals, entire or slightly serrulate toward apex, subglabrous; flowers subsessile, ca 45 mm long. Sepals suberect, free, elliptic, obtuse, 14-20 mm long, 6-7 mm wide, carinate, cucullate, entire, coriaceous, allutaceous, soon glabrous except the minutely tomentellous base; petals erect and only slightly parted at anthesis, linear, obtuse, 25 mm long, 8 mm wide, connate for 7-8 mm, deep violet with broad white margins, glabrous; stamens included, filaments more than 1/2 connate, anthers narrowly elliptic, acute, 10 mm long; ovary clavate, trigonous, not constricted at apex, attenuate toward base, 15 mm long, 5 mm in diameter. Fruit ovoid, 47 mm long, 20 mm in diameter, fleshy, edible; seeds many, flat, triangular-orbicular, 5 mm wide, gray-black, minutely punctulate.
Description - Plant propagating by stolons, flowering over 1 m high. Leaves very many in a dense spreading rosette, not constricted between sheath and blade, over 1 m long; sheaths elliptic, large; blades linear, attenuate, 25 mm wide, glabrous above, closely pale-lepidote beneath, laxly serrate with antrorse spines. Scape erect, stout; scape-bracts like the inner leaves, erect, imbricate. Inflorescence paniculate, densely cylindric, 18-22 cm long, 7-9 cm in diameter; axes densely vestite with fine white to allutaceous tomentum; primary bracts large, covering most of the flowers; branches to 10-flowered, very dense with little or no sterile base. Floral bracts linear-subelliptic, rounded-truncate, ca 30 mm long, 8 mm wide, equaling the centers of the sepals, entire or slightly serrulate toward apex, subglabrous; flowers subsessile, ca 45 mm long. Sepals suberect, free, elliptic, obtuse, 14-20 mm long, 6-7 mm wide, carinate, cucullate, entire, coriaceous, allutaceous, soon glabrous except the minutely tomentellous base; petals erect and only slightly parted at anthesis, linear, obtuse, 25 mm long, 8 mm wide, connate for 7-8 mm, deep violet with broad white margins, glabrous; stamens included, filaments more than 1/2 connate, anthers narrowly elliptic, acute, 10 mm long; ovary clavate, trigonous, not constricted at apex, attenuate toward base, 15 mm long, 5 mm in diameter. Fruit ovoid, 47 mm long, 20 mm in diameter, fleshy, edible; seeds many, flat, triangular-orbicular, 5 mm wide, gray-black, minutely punctulate.