Puya ugentiana L.B.Sm.

  • Authority

    Smith, Lyman B. & Downs, Robert J. 1974. Pitcairnioideae (Bromeliaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 14 (1): 1-658. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Bromeliaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Puya ugentiana L.B.Sm.

  • Type

    TYPE. Ugent 4998 (holotype, US; isotype, WIS), steep rocky slope with puyas and Mentzelia, 29 km east northeast of Sucre on the Aiquile road, Oropeza, 1950 m alt, Chuquisaca, Bolivia, 13 Apr 1963.

  • Description

    Description - Plant flowering over 2 m high. Leaves over 1 m long; blades rigid, 6 cm wide, obscurely lepidote between the nerves beneath, covered with appressed cinereous scales above, laxly serrate with castaneous antrorse spines 3 mm long. Scape straight, 5 cm in diameter at base, soon glabrous; scape-bracts persistent, exceeding the internodes but covering very little of the scape, the lowest subfoliaceous, the others broadly triangular with short serrate blades. Inflorescence lax, bipinnate, over 1 m long, finely and densely whitish-stellate including the petals; primary bracts like the upper scape-bracts, much shorter than the axillary branches; spikes subspreading, strobilate, subsessile, the central ones to 17 cm long. Floral bracts lanceolate, acute, nearly 5 cm long and about equaling the sepals; pedicels slenderly subcylindric, 15 mm long. Sepals lanceolate, narrowly obtuse, 30 mm long; petals linear, stellate at least toward base. Capsules subglobose, 2 cm long.

  • Distribution

    Known from the type collection only.

    Bolivia South America| Chuquisaca Bolivia South America|