40- 3.2

Aechmea aenigmatica Lopez-Ferrari, Espejo, Ceja & A.Mendoza

(subgen. Podaechmea)

Publ: Acta Bot. Mex. 95: 1-9. Fig. 1(A-H) (2011)

Type: Mexico, Oaxaca, district of Miahuatlan, municipality of San Jeronimo Coatlan, 16.7 km from Soledad Piedra Larga, rumbo a San Jeronimo Coatlan, 16°11'30" N, 96°58'18" W, ca. 1600 m, bosque mesofilo de montana, junto al arroyo, colectada en fruto 7.III.2009, cultivada y prensada en flor 7.XII.2009, J. Ceja, A. Espejo, A. R. Lopez-Ferrari y A. Mendoza R. 2005 (holotype: UAMIZ; isotype IEB).

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Distribution: MEXICO; Oaxaca

Habitat: Rupicolous, forming small colonies inside the mountain mesophyte forest, ca. 1600 m. Elev.

Etymology: The epithet refers to the exceptional characteristics of the species that differentiate it from the other taxa of the subgenus Podaechmea: the symmetrical sepals (Fig. lF) and the petals of a white colour without basal internal appendages (Fig. lG). Also, the absence of appendages in the petals (Brown and Terry, 1992) distinguishes it from all the other well-known members of the subgenus Podaechmea.

Phenology: It flowers from November to January and it fruits from January to April.

Aechmea aenigmatica