Hohenbergia stellata Schult.f.

  • 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 stellata Schult. & Schult.f.

  • Type

    Type. Martius s n (holotype, M; isotype, B; photo F 18761), Sincorá, Bahia, Brazil, 1818.

  • Synonyms

    Hohenbergia erythrostachys Brongn., Pironneava roseo-coerulea K.Koch, Aechmea glomerata (Beer) Mez, Hohenbergia glomerata (Gaudich.) Baker, Pironneava morreniana Regel, Aechmea oligosphaera Baker, Aechmea longisepala Baker, Aechmea glomerata (Beer) Mez, Aechmea oligosepala Baker

  • Description

    Description - Plant flowering to 12 dm high. Leaves many in a densely funnelform rosette, 7-11 dm long; sheaths large, broadly elliptic, entire, dark castaneous, covered with minute appressed brown scales; blades ligulate, broadly acute or rounded, apiculate, to 75 mm wide, densely pale-lepidote especially beneath, laxly serrate with spines 3.5 mm long. Scape erect or in the largest plants sometimes slightly decurved, stout; scape-bracts erect, densely imbricate, ovate, membranaceous, red or yellow. Inflorescence tripinnate, dense toward apex, elsewhere lax; axes flocculose at the nodes; primary bracts like the scape-bracts, shorter than the axillary branches; upper branches simple, very short, lower branches to 8 cm long with 2-6 spikes massed at the apex; spikes sessile, subglobose to cylindric, 3-7 cm long. Floral bracts spreading, long-attenuate from a suborbicular or broadly ovate base, 2-3 cm long, obscurely denticulate, coriaceous, strongly nerved, nearly glabrous, red or purple in life. Sepals triangular, acute, 15-18 mm long, carinate, glabrous, the 2 posterior distinctly exceeding the anterior; petals 2 cm long, bearing 2 long scales, the blades elliptic, acute, purple; stamens included, anthers acute; ovary obconic, strongly compressed, glabrous, 5 mm long, epigynous tube lacking; placentae apical; ovules long-caudate.

  • Distribution

    Epiphytic and terrestrial, 80-1400 m alt, Lesser Antilles (doubtful) to Tobago, Trinidad, Venezuela and northeastern Brazil.

    Martinique South America| Venezuela South America| Delta Amacuro Venezuela South America| Miranda Venezuela South America| Distrito Federal Venezuela South America| Aragua Venezuela South America| Yaracuy Venezuela South America| Falcón Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America| Trinidad and Tobago South America| Brazil South America| Piauí Brazil South America| Alagoas Brazil South America| Bahia Brazil South America|