Pitcairnia caricifolia J.H.Schult.bis
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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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Description
Description - Plant proliferating by short shoots; stem very short. Leaves numerous, all alike, 6-8 dm long, mostly exceeding the inflorescence, very slightly narrowed above the sheaths, finely and laxly serrulate to subentire, the sheaths narrowly ovate, inconspicuous, dark castaneous toward base, blades sublinear, 6-13 mm wide, filiform-attenuate, glabrous above, covered beneath with a pale membrane of coalesced scales. Scape erect, slender, 25-45 cm long, white-furfuraceous at first; scape-bracts erect, lepidote, the lower foliaceous and imbricate, the upper lanceolate and rarely shorter than the internodes. Inflorescence laxly racemose, more or less secund, 10-15 cm long, usually few-flowered, minutely white-lepidote. Floral bracts (lower) narrowly lanceolate, filiform-attenuate, the upper ovate; pedicels 5-10 mm long, slender; flowers slender, suberect at anthesis, usually spreading at maturity. Sepals sublinear, acute, ecarinate, thin; petals red or orange to white, bearing a large scale; stamens about equaling the petals; ovary almost wholly inferior. Capsule stout, to 2 cm long; seeds narrowly winged.