Vriesea farneyi Martinelli & And.Costa[as Vriesea farneyi ]

Diagnose: —Habitu V. barclayana (Baker) L.B. Smith appropinquat, sed rachi tereti simplici, inflorescentia glabra, sepalis breviter connatis, ovatis, apice obtusis et non apiculatis, petalis flavis et seminibus cum appendice apicali in brevi coma discedenti differt.

Observations: —Vriesea farneyi Martinelli & Costa is unusual because its overall characteristics seem to relate to the subgenus Vriesea. With more keen analysis, especially of the seed, we consider it to belong to the subgenus Alcantarea even though the inflorescence is simple.

In addition to the seed, which is well characterized by the apical appendage divided into a short coma, the soft and curved petals at anthesis are also a characteristic in this subgenus.

Edited from : Martinelli & Costa 1990. (protologue) Vriesea farneyi (subgenus Atcantarea), a New Species from Brazil .