Nidularium fulgens Lem.

  • 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

    Nidularium fulgens Lem.

  • Type

    Type. Libon in Lemaire hortus (original description and plate in the absence of any known specimen), Brazil.

  • Synonyms

    Guzmania picta Lem., Karatas fulgens (Lem.) Antoine, Nidularium pictum Baker, Encholirion pictum Haage & Schmidt

  • Description

    Description - Plant stemless, propagating by rhizomes. Leaves 15-20 in a broad spreading rosette, 30-40 cm long; sheaths broadly elliptic to suborbicular, much wider than the blades, entire, pale, densely lepidote with brown appressed scales; blades ligulate, slightly narrowed toward base, broadly acute and then acuminate to a short pungent spine, 3-6 cm wide, laxly serrate with spines 4 mm long, glabrous above, obscurely punctulate-lepidote beneath, pale green. Scape very short. Inflorescence sunk in the center of the rosette, capitiform, many-flowered; outer bracts large, broadly ovate, coarsely serrate, bright red throughout or the apex green; branches very short with the flowers fasciculate. Floral bracts lanceolate, acute, equaling the centers of the sepals, entire, whitish, sparsely lepidote with minute appressed brown scales; flowers sessile. Sepals narrowly lanceolate, acute, 20-24 mm long, short-connate, red; petals 5 cm long, high-connate, the tube white, the blades broadly rounded, dark blue with white margins; stamens included, filaments highly adnate to the petals; ovary ellipsoid, 3angled, ca. 15 mm long, much enlarged in fruit, the epigynous tube very short; placentae central; ovules obtuse.

  • Distribution

    Epiphytic in mountain forest, 800-1100 m alt, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil.

    Brazil South America| Rio de Janeiro Brazil South America|