Vriesea longiscapa Ule

  • Authority

    Smith, Lyman B. & Downs, Robert J. 1977. Tillandsioideae (Bromeliaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 14 (2): 663-1492. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Bromeliaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Vriesea longiscapa Ule

  • Type

    Type. Ule 4956 (holotype B, F photo 11464), Serra do Macahé, Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, Jan 1900.

  • Description

    Description - Plant flowering 6-12 dm high. Leaves 35-67 cm long; sheaths elliptic, not much wider than the blades, densely dark-punctulate-lepidote; blades ligulate, broadly rounded and apiculate, flat, 35-40 mm wide, pale or dark green and glabrous above, dark green or maroon, glaucous and obscurely punctulate-lepidote beneath. Scape erect, rather stout, glabrous; scape-bracts erect, imbricate, the lower ones foliaceous, the upper elliptic, acute. Inflorescence simple or rarely with 1-3 lateral racemes, the principal or only raceme 17-28 cm long, densely many-flowered; primary bracts like the upper scape-bracts, about equaling the sterile bracteate bases of the racemes; rhachis geniculate, angled, stout, glabrous. Floral bracts subspreading at anthesis and more or less secund, two and one half to three and one half times as long as the internodes, broadly ovate, broadly acute, to 35 mm long, obtusely carinate, slightly incurved at apex, faintly nerved, obscurely punctulate-lepidote, pale greenish brown at anthesis becoming darker with age; flowers secund-spreading; pedicels obconic, stout, 5-8 mm long. Sepals elliptic, subacute, 20-27 mm long, about equaling or somewhat exceeding the bracts, fleshy-coriaceous; petals narrowly obovate or elliptic, ca 3 cm long, yellow, bearing 2 acute scales 8 mm long at the base; stamens included, equaling the pistil, filaments much dilated toward apex.

  • Distribution

    Epiphytic in rainforest and coastal scrub (restinga), from near sea level to 900 m alt, Espínto Santo, Rio de Janeiro, and Guanabara in eastern Brazil.

    Brazil South America| Espirito Santo Brazil South America| Rio de Janeiro Brazil South America| Guanabara Brazil South America|