Guzmania cerifera Rauh & Barthlott[as Guzmania cerifera Rauh & Barthlott]

Diagnose: —Planta acaulis, gregaria, florens usque ad 70 cm alta. Folia numerosa, subrecta, rosulam infundibuliformen basi angusto-tubiformem, usque ad 40 cm altam formantia. Vagina oblongo-ovalis, usque ad 18 cm longa, 10 cm lata, supra pallide brunneo-lepidota. Lamina lingulata, late rotundata, in apicem brevem contracta, usque ad 35 cm longa, supra vaginam usque ad 8 cm lata, cano-viridis, fere glabra, subtus valde incano-calcareo-cerea. Scapus inflorescentiae usque ad 40 cm longus, 8 mm diametiens, tam longus vel brevior quam folia rosulae, erectus vel arcuato-adscendens, teres, viridis, glaber. Folia scapi dense imbricata, longiora quam internodia, scapo appressa vaginis longis et laminis brevibus, viridia, glabra, cereo-pruinosa; superiora gradatim in bracteis floralibus transientia. Inflorescentia simplex strobilum plerumque cylindricum acuminatum usque ad 14 cm longum, basi usque ad 4 cm diametientem formans. Bracteae florales polystichiae, spiraliter dispositae, late triangulatae, plus minusve 2,5 cm longae, 2,3 cm latae, apice obtuso, solidae, margine membranaceo, nitenti-virides, disperse lepidotae. Flores sessiles, albi. Sepala 1,5 cm longa, 8 mm lata, lanceolata, acuminata, membranacea, alba, disperse brunneo-lepidota. Petala alba, lingulata, obtusa, apice rotundata, plus minusve 3 cm longa, 4 mm lata, sub anthesi divaricata. Stamina alba, filamentis taeniformibus, petalis longiora, stylo crasso superata.

Observations: —The Key by A. J. Gilmartin (l.c., 1972), points to G. bipartita L. B. Smith [Range: Ecuador,( Veracruz, Prov. Napo-Pastaza,) and North-Peru, (Rio Maranon)], and the G. cylindrica L.B.Smith spread over Colombia and Venezuela .

G. cerifera differs from both however by the smaller size, the green, not red floral bracts, as well as the white, not yellow petals and the strong waxy coated leaves, a characteristic ( fig., 27) that does not link to Guzmania until now. Vegetatively G. cerifera links very strongly with a ‘green’ Tillandsia or Vriesea.

Translated by Butcher from: Rauh 1976a. (protologue) Bromelienstudien (Mitteilung 5). I. Neue und wenig bekannte Arten aus Peru und anderen Ländern .