Pitcairnia angustifolia Sol. ex Aiton
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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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Type
TYPE. Ryan s n (holotype, BM; photo, GH), Island of Santa Cruz, Virgin Islands, Lesser Antilles.
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Synonyms
Pitcairnia latifolia Aiton, Pitcairnia bromeliifolia L'Hér., Pitcairnia latifolia Baker, Pitcairnia angustifolia Sol. ex Aiton, Pitcairnia furfuracea Willd., Pitcairnia ramosa Jacq., Pitcairnia tomentosa F.Dietr., Pitcairnia platyphylla Schrad., Pitcairnia redouteana Beer, Hepetis latifolia (Aiton) Raeusch., Billbergia latifolia Heynh., Pitcairnia furfuracea Willd., Pitcairnia ramosa Jacq., Pitcairnia intermedia K.Koch, Pitcairnia skinneri K.Koch, Pitcairnia alta Hassk., Hepetis pyramidata Baker, Pitcairnia alta Hassk., Pitcairnia gracilis Mez, Hepetis angustifolia Sw., Hepetis gracilis Mez, Hepetis platyphylla (Schrad.) Mez
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Description
Description - Plant stemless or short-caulescent; rhizome prostrate, stout. Leaves 20-30 in a dense fasciculate rosette, all alike, persistent, 5-12 dm long, scarcely or not at all contracted between sheath and blade; sheaths conspicuous, triangular-ovate, dark-castaneous at least toward the base, spinose-serrate toward the apex, covered dorsally with a membrane of fine coalesced scales; blades linear to linear-lanceolate, subfiliform-attenuate, (10-) 13-24 mm wide, armed more or less throughout with spines up to 3 mm long, glabrous above, covered beneath with a fine membrane of white or brown coalesced scales. Scape erect, flocculose when young, often becoming glabrous; scape-bracts erect, the lower ones foliaceous, serrate, and exceeding the internodes, the upper narrowly triangular, filiform-attenuate, often shorter than the internodes. Inflorescence simple to much branched, white-flocculose when young, often becoming glabrous; primary bracts like the upper scape-bracts, many times shorter than the axillary branches; racemes suberect or ascending, elongate, laxly many-flowered. Floral bracts ovate to linear-lanceolate, acute or acuminate, from shorter than to exceeding the pedicels; flowers erect or ascending at anthesis, sometimes pendent-secund; pedicels slender, 3-13 mm long. Sepals oblong or narrowly triangular, acuminate to abruptly acute or obtuse, (13-) 15-23 (-24) mm long, ecarinate but often swollen at the base; petals linear, acute, up to 55 mm long, exceeding the stamens, red, bearing a large scale at the base; ovary about half superior; ovules with a truncate appendage.
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Discussion
The field studies of R. W. Read have shown that there is great but gradual variation in this species and that the leaves of a single plant can match those of what were formerly considered distinct species on the basis of fragmentary material.
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Distribution
Saxicolous, 0-800 m alt, Puerto Rico, Lesser Antilles.
Puerto Rico South America| Bayamón Puerto Rico South America| Utuado Puerto Rico South America| Río Grande Puerto Rico South America| Virgin Islands South America| Saint Thomas Virgin Islands of the United States South America| Water Island Virgin Islands South America| Saint Croix Virgin Islands of the United States South America| St. Jan Virgin Islands South America| Virgin Islands South America| Saba South America| Guadeloupe South America| Saba South America| Sint Eustatius South America| Saint Kitts Saint Kitts and Nevis South America| Antigua and Barbuda South America| Montserrat South America| Dominica South America| Martinique South America| Saint Lucia South America| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines South America| Grenada South America| Juncos Puerto Rico South America| Cayey Puerto Rico South America| Vega Baja Puerto Rico South America| Bayamón Puerto Rico South America| Maricao Puerto Rico South America| San Germán Puerto Rico South America| Río Grande Puerto Rico South America| Bayamón Puerto Rico South America|