Guzmania erythrolepis Brongn. ex Planch.

  • 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

    Guzmania erythrolepis Brongn. ex Planch.

  • Type

    Type. Linden in Van Houtte Hortus s n (holotype ?nv), Cuba. Type material doubtfully preserved, but the species well typified by original description and plate.

  • Description

    Description - Plant stemless, 4 dm high. Leaves 12-20 in a dense rosette, 4 dm long, green, often purplish below, very obscurely punctulate-lepidote throughout; sheaths small and inconspicuous, narrower than the blade; blades linear-lanceolate, acute, 4 cm wide, chartaceous when dry. Scape erect, short and largely concealed by the leaves, glabrous; scape-bracts erect, densely imbricate, the lower and middle foliaceous or red toward the base, the upper broadly elliptic, apiculate, bright-red with pale margins and greenish apex. Inflorescence simple, ellipsoid, strobilate, fertile throughout, 10-15 cm long, 30-45 mm in diameter, glabrous or subglabrous; axis 8 mm in diameter. Floral bracts like the upper scape-bracts but broadly acute or obtuse, 4 cm long, 2 cm wide, much exceeding the sepals, subchartaceous, even when fresh, finely striate when dry; flowers subsessile. Sepals elliptic, broadly obtuse, 2 cm long, coriaceous, dark-castaneous especially toward the base, connate for 4 mm; petals barely exserted from the bracts, connate for most of their length, white, the free lobes elliptic, obtuse; stamens 5 mm shorter than the petals, the filaments highly adnate to the petals; ovary slender.

  • Distribution

    Saxicolous on limestone and epiphytic in forest, 600-1000 m alt, Panama, Greater Antilles.

    Panama Central America| Cuba South America| Oriente Cuba South America| Jamaica South America| Dominican Republic South America| El Seibo Dominican Republic South America| Puerto Rico South America| Maricao Puerto Rico South America|