Nidularium exiguum (E.Pereira & Leme) B.A.Moreira, Wanderley & Martinelli[as Nidularium exiguum ]

Observations: —Nidularium exiguum is in a difficult situation, having been published under the genus Canistrum by having free petals and petal appendages (Pereira & Leme, 1985). Subsequently, Leme (1998) when proposing the new genus Canistropsis, considered by Smith & Downs (1979) subgenus of Nidularium, presented the new combination: Canistropsis exigua (E. Pereira & Leme) Leme. However, Canistropsis was not adopted as a genus, but as a subgenus of Nidularium, it is proposed in the present work under the new combination: Nidularium exiguum (E. Pereira & Leme) B.A. Moreira, Wand. & Martinelli.
This species is endemic to the north coast and is characterized by canaliculate leaves, scape long and red, involucral and primary bracts red and petals white at anthesis, later becoming yellowish. The petals are lanceolate with erect apex and two petal appendages on the inner surface, resembles N. billbergioides regarding the length of the scape and morphology of the inflorescence (Leme 1998).
Nidularium exiguum has charactcristics intermediate between Canistrum and Nidularium, however it is best included in the genus Nidularium, both with external charactcristics of the plant, as detailed before, and pollen morphology. The pollen grain has openings similar to predominant standard of Nidularium, however the exina sculpture has charactcristics similar to those of Canistrum (Moreira ined.).

Edited from : Wanderley & Martins 2007. Bromeliaceae in Flora fanerogâmica Do Estado de São Paulo, Volume 5.