Vriesea lutheriana J.R.Grant[as Vriesea lutheriana J.R. Grant]Diagnose: —V. duidae (L.B. Smith) E.J. Gouda primo adspectu simile, sed foliis effusis crassis coriaceis multoque longioribus utrinque obscure atroviridibus differt, vaginaque minus lepidota, inflorescentia cylindrica confertim tripinnata, scapo robustiore atroviridi, bracteis primariis subviridibus, bracteis florigeris bicarinatis aurantiacis, petalisque longioribus caeruleo-griseis cum appendicibus irregulatim incisis. Observations: —Discussion. Vriesea lutheriana is distinct from other Vriesea species of Costa Rica because it is the only known taxon with a tripinnate inflorescence in the region. Further, its distinctly orange bracts and light bluish gray petals easily distinguish it from others found in Central America. It is, however, related to a group of tripinnate and bipinnate taxa of the Guayana Highlands and Andean regions.
The new species appears to be most closely related to Vriesea duidae (L.B. Smith) E.J. Gouda, of the Guayana Highlands, with affinities to V. elata (Baker) L.B. Smith, V. rubra (Ruiz & Pavon) Beer, V. rubro-bracteata Rauh, and V. zamorensis (L.B. Smith) L.B. Smith.
This species falls within Sub key III of the genus Vriesea in Smith & Downs (1977) because of its compound inflorescence, lingulate leaves, and upper scape bracts that exceed the internodes. It is placed numerically directly after Vriesea duidae as 1.3.
A. Leaves 0.4-0.7 m long, lustrous green above, often maroon-purple beneath; inflorescence diffuse; scape slender, 5-9 mm in diameter; primary bracts red; floral bracts yellowish green to yellowish orange to red; petals blue; plants of the GuayanaHighlands
1.2 Vriesea duidae
AA. Leaves 0.8-1.1 m long, dull dark green above and below; inflorescence dense, cylindric; scape robust, 15-18 mm in diameter; primary bracts light green; floral bracts orange; petals light bluish gray; plants of Costa Rica. 1.3 Vriesea lutherianaEdited from : Grant 1992. (protologue) Vriesea lutheriana, a New Species with Tripinnate Inflorescence from Costa Rica .