Guzmania sprucei var. dressleri Rauh[as Guzmania sprucei var. dressleri Rauh]

Diagnose: —Planta acaulis, solitaria vel gregaria, florens usque ad 50 cm alta; folia parum numerosa rosulam gracilem basi usque ad 4 cm, apice 20-25 cm diametientem formantia; vagina longe linealis, non limitata, paulatim in laminam rigidam errectam transiens, usque ad 15 cm longa, in medio usque ad 6,5 cm lata, supra obscuro-vel fere atrobrunnea, nitens, nervata, subtiliter appresso-lepidota, supra paulo laetius, in parte superiore cereo-pruinosa; lamina erecta, plana, ligulata apice brevi pungenti, usque ad 30 cm longa, 4,5-5 cm lata, utrimque viridis, cano-cereopruinosa, imprimis subtus dispersissime lepidota, distincte nervata; inflorescentia simplex erecta, rosulam vix superans, laxe 8-10 flora; scapus inflorescentiae multo brevior quam folia rosulae, usque ad 35 cm longus tenuis glaber erectus; phylla scapi elaminata breviter acuminata internodiis longiora, 4,5-5 cm longa pallide carminea, in triente superiore viridia et cereopruinosa; axis inflorescentiae tenuis angulatus, pallide carmineus, glaber, cereus; internodia 1,5-2 cm longa; bracteae florales phyllis superioribus scapi similes, 3,8 cm longae roseae pruinosae basi flores amplectentes sepalis breviores; sepala anguste linealia, obtusa, plus minusve 4,2 cm longa, lucenti-citrina, ad 2 cm aequaliter connata, pruinosa; petala sepala ad 0,5 cm superantia, apices obtusi tantum paulum recurvati, aurea, basi albida, ad 1,8 cm connata; stamina petalis multo breviora, filamentis applanatis petalis affixis et antheris albis; stylus cum stigmatibus recurvatis brevior quam filamenta. Habitat et distributio: Panama, in sylvis montium nebulosis, Cerro Jefe apud 800 m.s.m.

Observations: — Rauh missed reporting the 2cm pedicel – see photo of bract compared to sepal fig. 7

Differs from the type dispersed likewise in Panama on the Cerro Jefe: G. sprucei (Andre) L. B. Smith (= Sodiroa sprucei Andre 1876, on the basis of the original description by Andre and, in some remarkable characteristics, so that it is justifiable to consider it as a variety. The differences to the type are: in the few flowered inflorescence, the short( 4-4,2 cm long), smooth, (not nerved), yellow, (not red), sepals, the shorter petals,more so in the strong waxiness, not mentioned by Andre in the original-diagnosis, (Bromeliaceae andreanae, Paris, S., 43) ; the rosette -, scape bracts, floral bracts and sepals (fig. 7, left), with a thick waxy coating (fig 7, right), that can easily be removed. In the REM, the wax-covering presents itself in form of small rods with fine branches (fig. 7a )which has not been observed in Bromeliaceae until now. The waxy covering is also lost when drying.
The two following varieties are distinguished as follows:
Guzmania sprucei (Andre) L. B. Smith var. sprucei:
Leaves green; basal scape bracts fully, the upper ones only lepidote at the top; flowers to 8-25; Sepals red, glabrous, strongly nerved, 5 cm long; Petals yellow, 5-6 cm long.
Type locality: Rio Nambi, Narino, Colombia.
Range: Colombia to Panama.

Guzmania sprucei (Andre) L. B. Smith var. dressleri Rauh
Leaves green, but waxy frosted; scape bracts, floral bracts and sepals strong waxy; sepals lemon-yellow, 4-4,2 cm long; Petals 4,5 cm long, yellow.

Edited from : Rauh 1981a. (protologue) Bromelienstudien (Mitteilung 10). I. Neue und wenig bekannte Arten aus Peru und anderen Ländern .