Bromelia serra Griseb.
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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 to 4 dm high propagating by elongate scaly stolons. Leaves many in a dense rosette, 1.5 m long; sheaths ample, forming a bulb, densely tomentose; blades linear, attenuate, not constricted at base, 4 cm wide, laxly serrate with antrorse uncinate spines 5 mm long, lepidote, green above, cinereous beneath. Scape short, stout, densely lepidote; scape-bracts foliaceous, densely imbricate, bright red. Inflorescence densely globose, 6 cm in diameter; primary bracts broadly ovate, 4 cm long, bearing long foliaceous blades covering most of the fasciculate flowers; branches short, 5-9-flowered. Floral bracts ligulate, obtuse, cucullate, 30 mm long, exceeding the ovary, 11 mm wide, carinate, spinose-serrulate, densely pale-lepidote; pedicels 5-10 mm long in fruit; flowers subsessile, 4-5 cm long. Sepals free, oblong, cucullate, 15 mm long, 5 mm wide, carinate, entire or sparsely serrulate, white, lepidote; petals elliptic, obtuse, connate for 5 mm, blue-purple with white base and margins; stamens included, forming a tube 3 mm high; ovary subcylindric, angled, 2 cm long. Fruit ovoid, 40 mm long, 25 mm in diameter.