Aechmea hostilis E.Pereira[as Aechmea hostilis ]

Diagnose: —Acaulis, perennanter florens, stolonifera, metralis usque; foliis pluribus, crateriforme rosulatis, metralis, linearibus, apicem versus sensim angustatis; vaginis oblongis, 13 cm longis, atropurpureis (in sicco castaneis), utrinque den-sissime adpresseque brunneo-lepidotis, rigide lignosis; limbo lineari-lanceolato, rigide coriaceo, late canaliculato, basin versus 10 cm lato, apicem versus sensim angustato et in spinam lignosam, pungentem, cylindrican, nigram, 10 mm longam exeunte, utrinque viride et dense hialino-lepidoto, margines spinis nigris, rigidis, pungentis, 10-15 mm inter se distantis auctis, illis diminio infe-riore limbi 4 mm longis, recurvatis, dimidio superiore paulo minoris et rectis; limbi vetusti sub anthesin pallide rubri; Scapus 13 cm longus, 2,5 cm diamet. erectus, lignosus, foliis internis occultus; bracteis scapalibus valde adpressis, strictis, imbricatis, inferioribus foliaceis, supremis basi inflorescentiae involu-cro formante, late ovatis, longe acuminatis et in spinam pungentem flavescen-tem exeuntis, margines spinis brunneis auctis. Inflorescentia simplex subca-pitata, apice paulo aplanata, strobiliformia, 7 cm longa, 10 cm diamet.; bracteis jlorigeris 40-45 mm longis, lanceolatis, margines serratis, dimidio superiore pallide viridibus et dorso dense albo-lepidotis, dimidio inferiore albidis et glabris, apice in spinam pungentem, flavescentem exeuntis. Flores sessiles, erectae, valde compressae, in excavatione bracteorum inclusae, 40 mm longae, cleistogamae sed maxima evolutione petalorum nocturna est; sepalis viridibus, 22 mm longis, liberis, assimetricis, apice acuminato-spinescente, pungente, dorso minutissime albo-lepidoto; binis anticis conduplicatis et alato-carinatis vi explanatis ambito anguste et assimetrice triangulare, postico canaliculato, anguste lanciforme, in excavatione bractearum incluso; petalis alte aglutina-tis, longitudinaliter bicallosis (haud ligulatis), 25 mm longis unguiculatis, unguiculo lineare, hialino, 15 mm longo, limbo lanceolato, mucronato, extus dimidio superiore albo-lepidoto, 10 mm longo, albo demum brunneo; stami-nibus inclusis, usque ad basin limbi connatis, antheris subulatis, base rotun-dato-emarginatis, niveis, 8 mm longis, fere ad medium dorso affixis; polline spherico, 1-2 porato; Ovarium 10 mm longum, ancipite complanatum, albo-lepidotum; tubo epigineo 7 mm longo; placenta paulo infra apicem loculi affi-xa; ovulis plurimis, obtusis.

Observations: —Close to A. saxicola L.B.Sm. this new species differs in the floral bracts murch larger than the sepals and in the not caudate ovuli.

Edited from : Pereira 1972b. (protologue) Species novae in Brasilia Bromeliacearum - IV .