Hohenbergia ridleyi (Baker) Mez

  • 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 ridleyi (Baker) Mez

  • Type

    Type. Ridley & Ramage s n (holotype, BM; photo US), Iguaragu, Pernambuco, Brazil, 1887.

  • Synonyms

    Aechmea ridleyi Baker, Hohenbergia pickelii Harms

  • Description

    Description - Plant flowering at least 1.5 m high. Leaves to 125 cm long; sheaths broadly elliptic, entire, dark castaneous, covered with appressed brown scales; blades ligulate, broadly acute and apiculate, 50-55 mm wide, pale-lepidote on both sides, laxly serrate with stout dark curved spines 4 mm long. Scape erect, stout, white-flocculose; scape-bracts erect, densely imbricate, lanceolate, acuminate, pungent, 10-17 cm long, membranaceous. Inflorescence narrowly pyramidal, laxly tripinnate, 5 dm long, white-flocculose; primary bracts much shorter than the branches; secondary bracts much shorter than the spikes; spikes remote toward base of branch and aggregated toward apex, sessile, slenderly ovoid, 3 cm long. Floral bracts very broadly ovate or triangular, mucronulate, equaling or exceeding the sepals, strongly convex, nerved; flowers to 15 mm long. Sepals short-connate, strongly asymmetric, mucronulate, 4-5 mm long, auriculed; petals ligulate, 12 mm long, purple; anthers acute; ovary much compressed, epigynous tube almost none; placentae apical; ovules caudate.

  • Common Names

    Gravatá

  • Distribution

    Paraiba and Pernambuco, Brazil.

    Brazil South America| Paraíba Brazil South America| Pernambuco Brazil South America|