Aechmea sergipana Pereira & Leme[as Aechmea sergipana Pereira & Leme]

Diagnose: —PLANTA florifera ca. 24cm alta; FOLIIS ca. 11, ligulatis, rosulatis, basi utriculum cylindraceum efficientibus; VAGINIS 10-12cm longis, ca. 7cm latis, ellipticis; apicem versus spinosis, utrimque dense brunneo-lepidotis, utrimque praecipue interne atropurpureis; LIMBIS 15-25m longis, 3-4,5cm latis, utrimque viridibus et praesertim apicem versus dense sed inconspicue albo-lepidotis, suberectis vel recurvatis, margine interdum undulata, dense spinosa, spinis brunneis 1-3mm longis, 1-4mm inter sese distantibus, apice purpurascentibus late acutis vel subrotundatis apiculatisque: SCAPUS erectus, rigidus, ca. 18cm longus, 4mm in diamet., viridus, sulcatus, leviter lanatus; BRACTEIS SCAPALIBUS utrimque dense albo-lepidotis, infernis ovatis apice acutis apiculatis que, internodiis superatis, erectis, ca. 25mm longis, ca. 15mm latis, integris vel fere, scapum haud omnino occultantibus, supernis ellipticis apice late acutis apiculatisque, internodiis superantis, prope inflorescentiam aggregatis, suberectis vel patentibus, ca. 30mm longis, ca. 15mm latis, dense spinosis, rubenscentibus; INFLORESCENTIA 35mm longa, 30mm in diamet. subglobosa, densa, basi bipinnata, folia longe superata, paulo sed distincte supra vaginam foliorum emergens; RAMULIS ca. 7, infernis ca. 15mm longis, subsessilibus, densis, 4-8 floribus, supernis perinconspicuis; rachillis albo-lanatis; BRACTEIS PRIMARIIS infernis bracteis scapi similibus, ramulis 2 X superantibus, supernis ca. 3-4mm longis, subtriangularibus vel reniformibus, apice subrotundatis vel obtusis mucronulatisque, centraliter nervatis, quam ramulos brevioribus; BRACTEIS FLORIFERIS reniformibus, 5mm longis, 10mm latis, apice obtusis et mucronato-spinosis, integris, nervatis, ecarinatis, ovarium aequantibus et omnino involventibus, viridibus, leviter albo-lanatis, ramulorum apicem versus sterilibus minoribusque; FLORIBUS 28mm longis, sessilibus, polystichis; SEPALIS suboblongis, 5.5 mm longis, 4mm latis, asymmetricis in alam membranaceam rotundatam quam pars centralis altiorem productis, apice mucronatis, mucrone brunneis 1,5mm longis, liberis vel fere, flavescentibus, subglabris, ecarinatis; PETALIS aurantiacis (Seidel:), 15mm longis, liberis, apice apiculatis, base ligulis binis et etiam callis binis longitudinaliter auctis; OVARIO 4mm longo, 4mm in diamet., globoso, viridi, basim versus brunneo-lepidoto; PLACENTIS apicem loculorum affixis; OVULIS obtusis.

Observations: —This new species, according the key elaborated by Smith & Downs (1979), is related to A. setigera Martius ex Schultes, being easily distinguished from it by its smaller size, inflorescence subglobose, floral bracts apiculate at apex, sepals mucronate at apex, among other characteristics.

Edited from : Bradea. (protologue) .