References
Greigia pearcei Mez in A. & C. DC. Monogr. Phan. 9: 46 (1896); Mez in Engl., Pflanzenr. 4, 32: 11 (1934); Skottsberg, Acta Horti Gothob. 11: 210, 221 (1936); Smith, Phytologia 16, 2: 70 (1968); Smith & Downs, Fl. Neotrop. 14, 3: 1633 (1979); Hoffmann & Flores in Benoit, Red Book Chilean Terrestrial Flora 1: 119-120 (1989). Bromelia pearcei H. Krause ex Baker, Handb. Bromel.: 13 (1889), nom. nud.
Greigia pearrei is the smallest and most delicate of the Chilean species where even juvenile plants can be easily distinguished from G. sphacelata or G, landbeckii (see also G. berteroi). It is characterized by its inconspicuous, thin leaf-sheaths, which are very short and only scarcely wider that the blades. The outer primary bracts are entire and have a distinct shape. The inflorescence also is the smallest and most delicate of all Chilean Greigia. None of the specimens examined had more than 6 flowers per inflorescence though Mez (1896) reports up to 15 flowers. There has been some uncertainty about the position of the inflorescence in G. pearcei: Mez (1896: 46) wrote "inflorescentia foliorum rosulaecentro immersa nidulante...5-15 flora," and later (1934: 11): "inflorescentia unica centralis, 5-15 flora:" Smith and Downs (1979) also refer to Mez. However, the specimens studied show that the inflorescences in G. pearcei have a lateral position and can be up to 5 on one stem. Smith and Downs (1979) designated Pearce 269 at BM as the lectotype. nIn his protologue Mez (1896: 46) lists Pearce 269 among the collections studied. However, in the synonymy, he cites "Bromelia Pearcei H. Krause mss. in herb. Monac. et ap. Bak., Brom. p. 13 (nomen):" Among the material studied by Mez, the label of the specimen Leyboldt [s. n.] in Munich reads as follows: "Bromelia pearcei H. Krause, nov spec. 26/9 1860 [handwritten]. Misit Leibold. Dedit Radlkofer. 1861." Attached to the plant is a small paper slip with the number "284" written on it. We will cite this specimen as "Leyboldt 289" although it remains uncertain who the actual collector was. The specimen has in the past been cited as "loco non indicato: Leyboldt" by Mez (1896), as "ohne Standortsangabe (Leiboldt)" by Mez (1934) and as "without locality 1861: Leyboldt s.n. (B, F photo 18767)" by Smith and Downs (1979). F 18767 is a photo of the specimen Leyboldt 289 from Munich. It appears to be the only specimen with the above mentioned hand-written note. Krause himself never published the name.
Baker (1889: 13) cites "Pearce 269! (labelled Bromelia pearcei)" in his treatment of Greigia landbeckii, in which he erroneously describes partly G. landbeckii and partly G. pearcei specimens. The specimen Pearce 269 at BM (we do not know of any existing duplicates) does not carry any such note.
Chile, region VIII and X, 36°59'S-9°54'S (Fig. 1). Conservation status of Greigia pearcei is "Insufficiently known" (Hoffmann and Flores, 1989). Collections are rather scarce and mostly from the last century. According to J.-Y. Lesouef (pers. comm.), the old collection sites are situated in an area devastated [by logging?] and therefore G. pearcei may be extinct. The most recent collection known to us is from 1957 (Pfister s.n.). —SeeHarvard Pap. Bot.
