Aechmea lamarchei 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

    Aechmea lamarchei Mez

  • Type

    Type. Lamarche Hortus in Morren Hortus s n (holotype, LG; photo GH), Oct 1877.

  • Synonyms

    Macrochordium lamarchei E.Morren ex Baker, Aechmea lagenaria Mez, Macrochordium lagenarium E.Morren ex Mez

  • Description

    Description - Plant flowering 4-15 dm high. Leaves many in a dense short-cylindric rosette, 4-9 dm long; sheaths elliptic, serrate toward apex, covered with white appressed scales on both sides; blades ligulate, subrounded and apiculate, 2-4 cm wide, sublaxly serrate with brown spines 1.5 mm long, subglabrous above, covered beneath with white appressed scales, wholly green. Scape erect, stout, white-flocculose; scape-bracts imbricate, large, lance-ovate, acute, papyraceous, bright red, the lower erect and minutely serrulate toward apex, the upper massed below the inflorescence, suberect and entire. Inflorescence simple, very densely subcylindric, obtuse, 5-8 cm long, slightly more than 3 cm in diameter, many-flowered. Floral bracts broadly ovate, broadly acute to emarginate, never bicarinate, usually slightly exceeding the sepals, entire, membranaceous, white-flocculose toward base; flowers sessile, polystichous. Sepals slightly asymmetric, obtuse, unarmed, 10-11 mm long, half-connate, covered with a pale membrane of fused scales; petals to 22 mm long, bearing 2 fimbriate scales slightly above the base, yellow at anthesis but soon becoming black; stamens much shorter than the petals; ovary to 7 mm long, epigynous tube evident; placentae apical; ovules long-caudate.

  • Distribution

    Terrestrial in forest, 930-1400 m alt, Bahia to Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

    Brazil South America| Bahia Brazil South America| Espirito Santo Brazil South America| Minas Gerais Brazil South America| Rio de Janeiro Brazil South America|