Puya serranoensis var. brevispica Rauh[as Puya serranoensis var. brevispica Rauh]

Diagnose: —A typo differt inflorescentia multo minore, sed inflorescentia terminali conferta et ramis lateralibus brevissimis tantum usque ad 1,5 cm longis densis et paucifloris brevissime stipitatis a bracteis primariis superatis. Holotypus : Hort. bot. heidelb. 50 831a (= Hromradnik 5230), in herb. inst. bot. system. univ. heidelb. (HEID). Habitat et distributio : Bolivia, inter Villam Serrano et Rio Grande, apud 2200 m.s.m. in clivis saxoso-gramineis una cum typo.

Observations: —This new variety differs from the type in the more compact, initially dense, but at anthesis lax, to 6 cm long, cylindrical end spike and the very short, only to 2 cm long, very short stemmed, few flowered primary side spikes.

var. serranoensis
Inflorescence bipinnate, to 30 cm long, with lax many flowered Top spike. Side spikes erect to spreading, up to 12- flowered, much longer than the primary bracts. Top spike to 15 cm long, laxly many flowered.

var. brevispica Rauh
Inflorescence laxly bipinnate, to 17 ( -20) cm long. Side spikes very short, only to 2 cm long, 3 to 5 flowered, spreading horizontal, shortere or as long as the primary bracts. Top spike to 10 cm long, laxly to densely cylindrical, many flowered.

The var. brevispica was collected with the type (var. serranoensis) but has been proven in cultivation as a well distinguishable variety
The flowering sequence is remarkable. First the petal tips unfold in the bottom portion of the Top spike; then later the lateral side spikes flower, again from the base.

Translated by Butcher from: Rauh 1985a. (protologue) Bromelienstudien (Mitteilung 16). I. Neue und wenig bekannte Arten aus Peru und anderen Ländern .