Pitcairnia arenaria H.Luther[as Pitcairnia arenaria H. Luther]

Diagnose: —A Pitcairnia filifera L.B. Sm. ex H. Luther, cui affinis, sepalis et petalis perbrevioribus differt.

Observations: —Pitcairnia arenaria is apparently restricted to scrubby cloud forest on white sand. It seems to be most similar to P. filifera from the Department of Cuzco in Peru but may be distinguished by flowers with shorter pedicels (1-3 mm vs. 36 mm long), sepals (8-10 mm vs. 24 mm long), and petals (15-17 mm vs. 38-40 mm long). Pitcairnia arenaria is also similar to the Peruvian P. rigida Mez, but this species has longer (40 mm long) red petals.

Edited from : Luther 2002b. (protologue) Miscellaneous new taxa of Bromeliaceae (XVII) .