Catopsis sessiliflora (Ruiz & Pav.) Mez

  • Family

    Bromeliaceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Catopsis sessiliflora (Ruiz & Pav.) Mez

  • Primary Citation

    Monogr. Phan. 9: 625. 1896

  • Basionym

    Tillandsia sessiliflora Ruiz & Pav.

  • Common Names

    Catopsis flores fijas, sessileleaf strap airplant

  • Description

    Author : Juan Francisco Morales, Xavier Cornejo & Reinaldo Aguilar.

    Description: Epiphytic herbs, forming funnelform rosettes. Blades ligulate, 7-21 x 1-3 cm, the margins entire, the apex obtuse. Scapes suberect to subpendulous, ca. 10-20 cm long; scape bracts shorter than internodes, erect, elliptic, the margins entire, the apex apiculate. Inflorescences mostly branched in staminate plants, mostly simple in pistillate or perfect; spikes divergent, 2-11 cm long, loosely flowered; floral bracts ovate, much shorter than sepals, thin, nerved. Flowers sessile; sepals strongly asymmetric, broadly elliptic, thin, nerved, the staminates 4-5 mm long, the pistillates 7-9 mm long; petals lance-ovate, white; stamens included. Fruits capsules, ovoid, ca. 10-13 mm long. Seeds with white coma.

    Common names: None recorded.

    Distribution: Mexico to Peru, Brazil and the West Indies from sea level to 1850 m (Smith & Downs, 1977; Morales, 2003).

    Ecology: In wet and pluvial forests, often persistent in disturbed habitats (Morales, 2003; Cornejo, pers. obs. 1993, 1995).

    Phenology: This species has been observed with flowers from Jan to Sep (Morales, 2003).

    Pollination: No observations recorded.

    Dispersal: Wind dispersed.

    Taxonomic notes: This species is recognized by the arching-divergent leaves arranged in a funnelform rosette; scape bracts shorter than internodes; and the strongly asymmetric sepals 4-9 mm long.

    Conservation: Not endangered.

    Uses: None recorded.

    Etymology: The epithet refers to the sessile flowers.

  • Floras and Monographs

    Catopsis sessiliflora (Ruiz & Pav.) Mez: [Article] Smith, Lyman B. & Downs, Robert J. 1977. Tillandsioideae (Bromeliaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 14 (2): 663-1492.

    Catopsis sessiliflora (Ruiz & Pav.) Mez: [Article] Mori, S. A., et al. 1997. Guide to the vascular plants of central French Guiana: Part 1. Pteridophytes, gymnosperms, and monocotyledons. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 76: 1-422.

    Catopsis sessiliflora (Ruiz & Pav.) Mez: [Article] Smith, Lyman B. 1957. The Bromeliaceae of Colombia. Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 33: i-v, 1-311.

    Catopsis sessiliflora (Ruiz & Pav.) Mez: [Article] Smith, Lyman B. & Schubert, Bernice G. 1952. Plants collected in Ecuador by W. H. Camp. Begoniaceae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 8 (1): 36-40.