Puya pichinchae Mez & Sodiro
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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. Sodiro P-4 in part (holotype, B), Paluguillo, Pichincha, Ecuador.
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Description
Description - Caulescent, the flowering shoot tall. Leaves (only the upper known) 4 dm long; sheaths broadly triangular, densely laciniate-spinose near apex, glabrous; blades 27 mm wide, densely white-lepidote beneath, glabrous and bright green above, laxly serrate with brown antrorse uncinate spines 6 mm long. Scape very stout, terete, glabrous; lower scape-bracts foliaceous, the upper lax, apparently broadly triangular but friable and soon lost, glabrate. Inflorescence obviously bipinnate, thyrsoid, 60 cm long, 15 cm in diameter, merging into an elongate lax terminal raceme; primary bracts ovate-elliptic, very much shorter than the branches, recurved, serrate, appressed-cinereous-tomentose throughout; racemes suberect to spreading, ascending at apex, distinctly stipitate, pale-lanuginose soon becoming glabrous, the lateral ones 30-40-flowered, subdense, the terminal 50-60-flowered, laxer. Floral bracts broadly elliptic, abruptly acuminulate, much shorter than the sepals, reflexed, entire, subcoriaceous, soon glabrous; flowers suberect to spreading; pedicels stout but distinct, 10 mm long, angled. Sepals elliptic, asymmetrically rounded, 21 mm long, 10 mm wide, lanuginose becoming glabrous, lineate, thick coriaceous; petals ca 4 cm long, claw linear, naked, blade elliptic, rounded, contorted after anthesis, yellow or green when dry; stamens included.
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Distribution
Known from the type collection only.
Ecuador South America| Pichincha Ecuador South America|