Leme & Kollmann 2016 (Article) Alcantarea

A new Alcantarea species from Espírito Santo, Brazil

Author(s):—E.M.C. Leme & L.J.C. Kollmann

Publication:—Journal of the Bromeliad Society 65(3): 154-165. (2016)

Abstract:—The tillandsioid genus Alcantarea (E. Morren ex Mez) Harms comprises 40 species restricted to southeastern and northeastern Brazil. It occurs from sea level to elevations above 1000 m altitude, in the states of São Paulo (1 sp.), Rio de Janeiro (11 spp.), Minas Gerais (17 spp.), Espírito Santo (11 spp.) and Bahia (3 spp.).

Species of Alcantarea usually grow as rupicoles in sun exposed areas on vertical granitic surfaces of inselbergs in the Atlantic Forest domain or, less frequently, on sandstone outcrops in the Campos Rupestres. It is rarely observed in the Caatinga vegetation or as a terrestrial. Plants size is variable, ranging from gigantic species with many-leaved, bulky rosettes reaching 3.7 m (12 feet) in diameter and having much branched, tall inflorescences [e.g. A. imperialis (Carrière) Harms] to small-sized taxa with few-leaved tubular rosettes and short, simple inflorescences [e.g. A. farneyi (Martinelli & A.F. Costa) J.R. Grant].

The taxonomic richness of Alcantarea is far from being reasonably known mainly because they typically grow in isolated, hard-to-reach habitats, often in poorly explored, or even unexplored, mountainous regions . The new species described below is another ornamental addition to the genus.

Published names (1):

Alcantarea glaucifolia