Aechmea weilbachii Didr.
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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 4-5 dm high. Leaves 12-20 in a dense ellipsoid rosette, 3-6 dm long; sheaths broadly elliptic, large, covered with minute appressed brown scales, laxly serrulate toward apex; blades recurving, ligulate, broadly acute and apiculate, 25-35 mm wide, slightly narrowed toward base, glabrous above, obscurely lepidote beneath, entire except at base, centrally channeled. Scape erect; scape-bracts imbricate and covering the scape, lance-ovate, acuminate, entire, membranaceous, at least the upper bright red. Inflorescence laxly bipinnate to apex, to 15 cm long, glabrous with bright red axes and bracts; primary bracts like the scape-bracts, exceeding the lower spikes; spikes subspreading or spreading, to 4 cm long including the flowers, wholly fertile, 2-6-flowered, sublax. Floral bracts polystichous, suborbicular, minutely mucronulate, broadly convex, entire, about equaling the ovary; flowers sessile, spreading, more or less upwardly secund, to 25 mm long. Sepals strongly asymmetric, minutely mucronulate, to 8 mm long, 1/3 connate, pale blue-purple; petals broadly rounded, 2 cm long, pale purple with white margins, bearing 2 fimbriate scales at base; stamens included; ovary ellipsoid, stout, epigynous tube short; placentae apical; ovules long-caudate.