Pitcairnia semaphora L.B.Sm.
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Authority
Smith, Lyman B. & Downs, Robert J. 1974. Pitcairnioideae (Bromeliaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 14 (1): 1-658. (Published by NYBG Press)
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Family
Bromeliaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
TYPE. Metcalf Sc Cuatrecasas 30105 (holotype, GH; isotype, US), Puerto Valdivia to Yarumal, Antioquia, Colombia, 20 Feb 1942.
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Description
Description - Plant caulescent, flowering 3-10 dm high. Leaves trimorphic, the outer greatly reduced and squamiform with short very narrowly triangular entire or spinose blades, the inner leaves to 1 m long; petiole subdensely serrate with straight dark spines 3 mm long; blades linear-lanceolate, attenuate, about 4 cm wide, entire, sparsely white-flocculose beneath, soon glabrous. Scape slender, sparsely flocculose; scape-bracts lanceolate, the lowest imbricate, the highest shorter than the internodes. Inflorescence simple, secund-flowered, dense, 2-3 dm long. Floral bracts ovate, acute, 8-20 mm long, much exceeding the pedicels, flocculose, red; pedicels slender, 5 mm long. Sepals suboblong, broadly acute and apiculate, 10 mm long, ecarinate, nerved, sparsely white-lepidote; petals to 14 mm long, exceeding the stamens, naked, yellow-green; ovary 2/3 to 3/4 superior; ovules caudate.
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Distribution
Terrestrial and saxicolous in moist cool forest, 2000-2200 m alt, Colombia.
Colombia South America| Caldas Colombia South America|