Puya quillotana W.Weber[as Puya quillotana Weber]

Diagnose: —A Puya chilensis Molina 1782 verisimiliter valde similis sepala, majoribus et brunneo-tomentosa differt. Bractea floralis acute-lanceolata, 53 mm longa, nervata. Flores usque ad 90 mm longi, 15 mm pedicellati, pedicelii et rhachis dense brunneo-lepidotis. Sepala oblongo-acuta, 38--45 mm longa, 6 mm lata, dense brunneo-tomentosa. Petala oblonge-lanceolata, obtuse acuta, ad 75 mm longa, 15 mm lata. Stamina inclusa, 52 mm longa, Antherae obtuse-linearae, 12 mm longae, basifixae. Ovario longe conico, 12 mm alto. Stylus 42 mm longus, stigmata suberecta, 8 mm longa.

Observations: —One single flower floral bract. Collection label (written by Bertero): Pourretia coarctata common name 'Cardon' in rugged stony hillsides at Quillota Herb. Bert. No. 1261. Found with HAL 45467. It was noted on the voucher by Carl Mez as Puya chilensis v. gigantea and quoted in DC. Mon. Phan. 9, 1896. In the monograph of L. B. Smith (1974) Bertero No. 1261 is not quoted against it. Isotypus with same collection label is in KIEL: 2 single flowers without floral bracts.
Because of its large size only fragments are held as herbarium specimens. I suggest that the lack of sufficient material is the cause for such provisional description and hope that future fieldwork will reveal more detail of this species.

Edited from : Weber 1984b. (protologue) Die Bromeliaceae im Herbarium D.F.L. von Schlechtendals .