Aechmea trigona E.Pereira[as Aechmea trigona E Pereira]

Diagnose: —Breve stolonifera, florifera c. 40 cm alta. Folia 8-10, viridia, concoloria, supra vaginam constricta; vagina ovato-oblonga, 10 cm longa, 5 cm lata, utrinque viridia et minutissime albo-lepidota, peradpressae utriculum subcylindraceum formante; limbo subpeciolato, 25-33 cm longo, pseudopetiolo canaliculato, 2 cm lato, limbo ipso lanceolato, 4-5 cm lato, superne glaberrimo, dorso inconspique punctato-lepidoto, apicem versus sensim angustato e in acumen subpungentem exeunte, margine dense spinosa, spinis rectis viridibus, 1 mm longis. Scapus erectus, 30cm altus, 5 mm diamet., lignosus, purpureus, albo-floccosus, 3-4 articulatus, internodiis superioribus minoribus; bracteis scapalis 3-4 lanceolato acuminatis, 1cm maxima latitudine, primum albo-floccosis, demum glabris, pallide pardalinis, inferioribus quam internodiis valde brevioribus, superioribus longioribus. Inflorescentia composita vel simplex, dimorfa, corolla excludente tota albo-floccosa, trispicata, 10 cm. longa, spicae basali 4-5 cm longae, distiche 6-8 florae; spica centralia 9 cm longa, trigona, c. 20-flora; floribus trifase dispositis; rhachidis excavati, ad pars florifera absconditis; bracteis floralibus ovatis apiculatis, apice paulo assimetrico, 1 cm longis, 8 mm latis, citrinis, peradpressis, quam ovario valde brevioribus. Flores cleistogamae, sessiles, ante anthesin erectae et in excavationi rachidis subinclusae, sub anthesin recurvatae, subreflexae, 25 mm longae vel longiorae, spiculis lateralis distichis, centralia trifasa; sepalis ovatis, apice minutissime apiculatis, 5 mm longis, fere liberis, citrinis; petalis linearibus, apice minutissime apiculatis, dimidio inferiore pallide luteis, superne albinis, 15 mm longis, 3 mm latis, paulo supra basin fimbriato-biligulatis; staminibus 3 alternipetalis et 3 opositipetalis cum petalis fere tota longitudine adheraentibus, filamentis 11 mm longis, paulo applanatis; antheris linearibus, 3 mm longis, base breviter sagittatis, apice apiculatis, medium versus dorsifixis; polline globuloso, 1-2-porato; stilo 13 mm longo; tubo epigyneo 1 mm longo; ovario cylindraceo, 11 mm longo, luteo, placenta apice angulo loculi affixa; ovuiis paucis longe caudatis.

Observations: —I include this species in the subgenus Aechmea because it bears most of its characters, differing only in the inflorescence. No affinity, was found, however with any of the species even from other subgenera.
Mrs. Mee sent two specimens from Amazonas which were cultivated in the Jardim Botanico do Rio de Janeiro. One of them showed a compound inflorescence, the two basal spikes with distichous flowers, but the flowers on the apical spike in three rows. The other plant showed only one spike with flowers in three rows.

Edited from : Bradea. (protologue) .