MainDescription

Mesoamerantha dichroantha (Donn. Sm.) I. Ramνrez & K. Romero  diagnose
plant rosettes 48–65 cm diam., 30–50 cm. leaves 22 to 40; sheath 2–2.5 Χ 4–5 cm; blade acuminate, 20– 47.5 cm, 2–4 cm wide at the base, pale green, occasionally with reddish margins and apex, the marginal spines soft, 2–3 mm, 5–9 mm apart, green to reddish, brown when dry; staminate inflorescence a simple panicle, 0.7–1.1 m. inflorescence: peduncle 35–58 cm, 0.4–0.6 cm diam; at the base, reddish, the internodes 2–6 cm; peduncle bracts with sheath 0.8 Χ 0.7–1.5 cm; blade (3–)7–24(–27) Χ 0.7– 1.5 cm, reddish; axis 22–74 cm, 0.4–0.6 cm diam; at the base, reddish, the internodes (2–)3–6(–8) cm; primary bracts (1–)2–3.5(–10) Χ 0.6–1 cm, reddish, entire to sinuous, glabrous; branches 6 to 17, ascending (forming a 45° angle with the main axis), 5–12 cm, 2–3 mm diam; at the base, reddish, the flowers developing from the base of the branches; floral bracts lanceolate, acuminate at apex, (5–)7–10 Χ 2–2.8 mm, as long as or longer than the sepals, reddish, entire to sinuous, 3-nerved. flowers divaricate, densely arranged along the inflorescence branches (ca; 21 to 24 flowers per 3 cm); sepals triangular to ovate, acute at apex, 3–5 Χ 2.5–3 mm, entire, reddish; petals elliptic, acute at apex, 5–7 Χ 1.5–3 mm, white with a reddish apex. stamens 3–6 mm; filament 2.5–5.5 mm; anther 1.1–2 mm, greenish; pistillode 2.5 mm, with stigmatic lobes 0.5 mm; ; pistillate inflorescence a simple panicle, 0.65–2 m; peduncle 40–147 cm, 0.5–1.1 cm diam; at the base, reddish, the internodes (1.5–)3.5–8(–12) cm; peduncle bracts with sheath 1.2 Χ 0.8–2 cm; blade (2–)4–20 Χ 0.8–2 cm, reddish; axis 25–64 cm, 0.4–0.6 cm diam; at the base, reddish, the internodes (2–)4–6.5 cm; primary bracts 1.5–1.8 Χ 0.6–1 cm, reddish, spiny to sinuous, abaxially white-lepidote to glabrous; branches 4 to 12, ascendant to perpendicular to the main axis, 5–9 cm, the terminal one 9.5–15 cm, rachis 3–4 mm diam; at the base, reddish, the flowers appearing almost from the base of the branch; floral bracts lanceolate, acuminate at apex, 5–10 Χ 1.8–2 mm, as long as or longer than the sepals, reddish, entire to sinuous, 3-nerved. flowers divaricate, campanulate, densely arranged along the inflorescence branches (ca; 28 to 30 flowers per 3 cm); sepals triangular to lanceolate, acute at apex, 3–4 Χ 2–3 mm, entire, reddish; petals elliptic, acute at apex, 4–4.5 Χ 1.3–2 mm, white with a reddish apex; staminodes 1.5–2 Χ 0.5 mm. pistil: ovary 1.5 mm, 0.5 mm diam., rarely with a 2-mm-long style, stigmatic lobes 2 mm. fruits 6–10 mm, 4–6(–7) mm diam., greenish when immature, becoming brown when dry, divaricate; seeds 4 mm, one wing ca 0.6 mm, the other one ca 1.6 mm;.

Edited from : Romero et al. 2022. A Taxonomic Revision of the Central American Genus Mesoamerantha (Bromeliaceae: Hechtioideae) .