Araeococcus montanus Leme[as Araeococcus montanus Leme]

Diagnose: —Species nova a A. parviflorus (Martius ex Schultes f. ) Lindman, cui proxima, sed laminis foliorum utrinque subdense sed minute albo-lepidotis, apice rotundaris et minute apiculatis, ftoribus sessilibus, sepalis apice distincte emaarginatis differt; a A. goeldianus L R. Sm., cui affinis, foliis integris, apice rotundatis et minute apiculatis, bracteis floriferis integris, sepalis apice distincte emarginatis differt.

Observations: —Despite being closely related to Araeococcus parviflorus, A. rnontanus belongs, based on its sessile flowers, to subgenus Araeococcus (also occurring in Bahia, A. parviflorus is the type of subgenus Pseudaraeococcus). Araeococcus montanus is also similar to the Amazonian A goeldianus. From Araeococcus parviflorus the new species can be distinguished by leaf-blades that are subdensely and minutely white-lepidote on both sides, apex rounded and minutely apiculate, besides the sessile flowers and the distinctly emarginate sepals. From A. goeldianus, it differs by the entire leaf-blades with rounded and minutely apiculate apex, entire floral bracts, and by the distinctly emarginate sepals.
Araeococcus montanus is the second species of Araeococcus found in Bahia, growing in great clumps both in the sandy arboreous areas and in the Atlantic Forest, also as an epiphyte in the understory, A. montanus was discovered further inland, on a hillside area of the Atlantic Forest, at about 800 m of elevation. The new species was observed as an epiphyte, at a higher than average level of the forest. It is also sympatric with Aechmea glandulosa

Edited from : Harvard Pap. Bot.. (protologue) .