Aechmea setigera Mart. ex Schult. & 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

    Aechmea setigera Mart. ex Schult. & Schult.f.

  • Type

    Type. Martius s n (holotype, M; photo F 8636), Caldeirão, Amazonas, Brazil, 1819.

  • Synonyms

    Aechmea prieuriana Baker, Echinostachys prieuriana Brongn. ex Baker

  • Description

    Description - Plant 1-3 m high with the inflorescence extended. Leaves 1 m long; sheaths suborbicular, 9-30 cm long, entire, very dark brown, covered below with a castaneous membrane of coalesced scales; blades ligulate, scarcely or not at all constricted at base, acute or broadly rounded With a broad triangular apiculus, 35-70 mm wide, densely white-lepidote beneath, densely spinose-serrate toward base, sometimes subentire toward the apex, teeth stout, black, straight or uncinate, to 15 mm long. Scape arching-decurved, 13 mm in diameter; scape-bracts suberect, many times exceeding the internodes, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, coarsely spinose-serrate, 2 dm long, subchartaceous, bright red, pale-lepidote. Inflorescence pendulous, densely bipinnate or subtripinnate, cylindric, to 9 cm in diameter, soon glabrous, sterile at base and apex and at the apices of the remaining spikes; primary bracts slenderly spiniform from a small triangular base, 3 cm long, dark brown; spikes laxly and distichously 2-4-flowered; rhachis 25-35 mm long, terete. Floral bracts subreniform, asymmetric, 1 cm long, forming a tube about the ovary, green, nerved, bearing a slender brown terminal spine to 25 mm long, those toward the apex of the spike sterile and gradually reduced to just the spine. Sepals very asymmetric, subelliptic, obtuse, 16 mm long, unarmed, free; petals ligulate, obtuse, 3 cm long, pale greenish yellow, bearing 2 fimbriate scales at base; epigynous tube large, urceolate; placentae subapical; ovules caudate. Berry ellipsoid, 1 cm long.

  • Distribution

    Epiphytic in forest, 70-550 m alt, Panama to Colombia, Guiana, and adjacent Brazil.

    Panama Central America| Canal Zone Panamá Central America| Panamá Panama Central America| Colombia South America| Vaupés Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America| Amazonas Venezuela South America| Suriname South America| French Guiana South America| Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America| Mato Grosso Brazil South America| São Paulo Brazil South America|