Aechmea kautskyana Pereira & L.B.Sm.[as Aechmea kautskyana Pereira & L B Smith]

Diagnose: —Florifera usque 50cm alta. Folia circa 15, rosulata, ligulata, utriculum tubulosum formantia; interiora, vagina lato eliptica, 12-20 cm lata, paulo maiore quam limbus est vel aequante, interius atro-purpurea et albo-lepidota, exterius viridi et inconspicue lepidota; limbo sublineari, 8-15cm longo, 5-6cm lato, utrinque inconspicue lepidoto, apice rotundato, recurvato et longe mucronato subpungente, margine laxe spinis atro-purpureis, usque 4mm longi, armata. Folia exteriora vagina ovata, 8cm longa, 6cm lata, minora quam limbus est; limbo anguste triangulari, 20cm longo, 2cm maxime latitudine, sensin in apicem acuminatum exeunti, margine spinis usque 7mm longi, inter se 5mm distantibus armata. Scapus erectus l0mm diamet. (in sicco 5mm), 38cm longus, atropurpureus et dense albo-lepidotus, internodiis 3-4cm longis; bracteis scapalibus inferioribus totaliter amplectantibus, roseis, albo lepidotis, sed interius glabris, fere rectangularibus, spice rotundato et curvato-mucronato, margem integerrima, 4cm longis, 3cm latus quam internodiis paulo minoribus vel paulo longioribus; bracteis scapalibus prope inflorescentiam valde aggregatis, atro-purpureis, patentibus, nullo modo amplectentibus, lanciformibus, margine serrata, 6cm longis, 2cm maxime latitudine. Inflorescentia erecta, simplissima, strobiliforme, ellipsoidea, 7cm longa, 4cm diamet. (in sicco 5cm longis, 3cm diamet.) , totaliter excepto corollae atro-purpurea et dense albo-lepidota; bracteis florigeris suborbicularibus, concavis, apice truncato-apiculato, dorso tricarinato et gibboso, 8mm diamet., ovarium aequantibus et involventibus sed haud in totum. Flores 20mm longis, sessilis; sepalis assymetricis, ovalibus, 8mm longis, 4mm alte connatis, spice obtuse, nulo modo apiculato neque mucronato; petalis atro-azureis demum nigricenti, lineari-spathulatis, 15mm longis, spice rotundato, emarginato et emarginato et minutissime denticulato, supra basin ligulis binis, fimbriatis auctis; anthereis 5mm longis, linearibus, basi obtuse sagittata, apice apiculato; ovario 4mm longo; tubo epigineo 2mm longo; placentis apice loculis affixis; ovulis paucis, longe caudatis.

Observations: —In its habit this new species is closest to A. bromelifolia from which it is readily distinguished by its purplish flowers. In the flower details it is closest to A. triangularis L. B. Smith from which it differs immediately in the dimorphic leaves.

Translated by Butcher from: Bradea. (protologue) .