Aechmea bromeliifolia (Rudge) Baker
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Authority
Smith, Lyman B. 1957. The Bromeliaceae of Colombia. Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 33: i-v, 1-311.
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Family
Bromeliaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Description - Plant 7-9 dm. high; leaves 12-20 in a tubular rosette, 6-12 dm, long, covered with a membrane of white coalesced scales, sheaths ovate to elliptic-oblong, 1-3 dm. long, usually much broader than the blade and very distinct, entire or with a few teeth toward the apex, blades ligulate, very variable, from acuminate to naturally rounded-apiculate even on the same plant or rounded-emarginate by decay of the point, 4-9 cm. wide, green, concolorous, laxly serrate with antrorse spines to 1 cm, long; scape erect, stout, densely white-lanate; scapebracts lance-ovate, acute, entire, thin, densely and finely pale-lepidote, the upper ones densely imbricate, the lower sometimes a shorter than the internodes; inflorescence spicate, fertile throughout, ellipsoid or cylindric, to 15 cm. long, 3-4 cm. In diameter, densely white-lanate with only the petals exposed at first; floral bracts broader than long, truncate, thick, coriaceous, 2-keeled, enfolding the ovary, much shorter than the sepals; sepals suborbicular, 7 mm. long, coriaceous, equally short-connate; petals erect, oblong, emarginate, 15 mm. long, greenish yellow, soon turning black, bearing 2 fimbriate scales well above the base; ovary tomentose; placentae apical; ovules long-caudate.