Hohenbergia

• Authority

  Smith, Lyman B. & Downs, Robert J. 1979. Bromelioideae (Bromeliaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 14 (3): 1493-2142. (Published by NYBG Press)

• Family

  Bromeliaceae

• Scientific Name

  Hohenbergia

• Type

  Type. Hohenbergia stellata Schultes filius in Roemer & Schultes, Syst. 7(2): 1251. 1830.

• Synonyms

  Pironneava, Pironneaua Post & Kuntze, Hohenbergia stellata Schult. & Schult.f.

• Description

  Description - Medium to large, terrestrial, saxicolous, or epiphytic, stemless herbs. Leaves rosulate, polystichous; sheath usually large, distinct, and at least basally dark castaneous; blade ligulate or subtriangular, usually conspicuously spinose-serrate. Scape well developed; scape-bracts imbricate or remote. Inflorescence of strobilate spikes, 2-4-pinnate rarely a single spike in H. littoralis L. B. Smith, lanate or glabrous. Floral bracts conspicuous, always covering the ovary and often the sepals also; flowers sessile, more or less complanate. Sepals more or less asymmetric, mostly very short-connate, unarmed or mucronulate; petals unguiculate, the claw bearing 2 appendages, the blade divergent to spreading at anthesis; stamens included, series I free, series II partly adnate to the petals; pollen with 2 or 4 pores; ovary wholly inferior; placentae mostly apical; ovules obtuse to long-caudate. Fruit baccate, little to much enlarged from the ovary.