Deuterocohnia lotteae (Rauh) M.A.Spencer & L.B.Sm.

Literature references:

Bromtravels (Web) FCBS (Web) Ibisch & Vasquez 2000 J. Bromeliad Soc.: 33:240 Kockel 1995: 37 Oliva-Esteve 2000a: 310 Rauh 1983b: 42:6bd Tropiflora Cargo Rep: 17(1) Wien Herbarium, Inst

Comments:

• Differs from the similar cushion-establishing A. lorentziana through the very lax scaled upper side of the leaves and therefore appearing shiny light green, at the edges strong yellow brown spines, jas well as the reddish brown, green tipped petals.
  
  Up to now, 2 types are known from Abromeitiella, A. BREVIFOLIA GRISEB. and A. LORENTZIANA (MEZ) CAST. The first forms strong arches, to 1 m high and 1-2 m in diam large, very compact, hard, forming cushions from countless small rosettes. The rosette-leaf is not longer than 2,2 cm and the edges strongly spined. The Inflorescences are only 0,5 cm long stemmed and frequently 1-flowered. Sepals green, not over 13 mm long; the posterior pair unclearly keeled, spine tipped, free. Petals green, dark green tipped, at the base a Ligula. Stamens enclosed.
  The range of A. brevifolia stretches from south Bolivia (Tarija) up to north-east-Argentina, at an altitude of 1500-2450 m., A.lorentziana, until now only is only known from the highlands of Northwest-Argentinia, is also a cushion-plant, however the rosettes are essentially larger. They reach 5-7, -15, cm long, to 1,5 cm wide at the base, sparsely spined at the edges, upperside flattened, underneath convex and both side dense scaled and ca. erect. The stemless inflorescence is 1 - to 5 -, normally 3 flowered; the glabrous, tapering to a short spine tipped sepal is to 16 mm long, including the tip, truly green, whitish to the base. Petals to 32 mm long and with a frayed appendage at the base. Stamens as with A. brevifolia enclosed; Style with the lobes a little protruding.
  
  The new A. lotteae, from S-Bolivia (Tarija) differs from A. lorentziana through its flat, extended, bending over with age, edged with strongly fortified spined leaves and the reddish brown flowers, that are usually arranged in a 3-flowered inflorescence. Also regarding the scales on the under side of the leaf. Maintaining that A. lorentziana has both sides of the leaf blades densely scaled, the upper side of the leaf for A. lotteae is almost glabrous. Also the construction of the scales, for the leaf-upper side, which has two types. With Abromeitiella lorentziana, the scales possess numerous central-cells, up to 10, but only 3-5 for A. lotteae.. The construction of the scales on the underside is the same with both types, however those of A. lorentziana are somewhat larger.
  There is little difference in the size and form of the pollen grains for both species
  
  A key to the type Abromeitiella is now:
  1. Leaf not over 22 mm long, rosettes therefore small; flowers dark green A. brevifolia
  - Leaf much larger, 5-15 cm long, edge smooth or roughly spined Flowers green or wine-red
  -brownish............................ 2
  
  2. Flowers green; leaf both sides of dense scaled and therefore shiny gray ....... A.lorentziana - Flowers wine-red-brownish; leaf topside almost glabrous and therefore dark shiny green,
  edges strongly toothed ................. A. lotteae
  
  Whether A. lotteae is only found in Bolivia has yet to be decided.
  
  Abromeitiella lotteae: A Remarkable New Species from Southern Bolivia by WERNER RAUH in J. Brom. Soc. 33:239-41, 252. 1983
  
  Abromeitiella lotteae Rauh, named in honor of Mrs. Lotte Hromadnik, wife of Dr. R. Hromadnik, both very enthusiastic and successful bromeliad collectors, (see also Tillandsia lotteae, J. Brom. Soc. 28:263-265,1978) is a very handsome new species and differs from the known species with green flowers by having brown winered flowers. A. lotteae, growing in southern Bolivia at an altitude of 2700 m. on steep, rocky-grassy slopes forms enormous and very hard cushions (according to the branching scheme in Bromelien by W. Rauh, fig. 7,p.27) in which hundreds of rosettes grow together forming a convex surface. These cushions can. reach a diameter of several meters and a height of 1 m or more.
  In cultivation, the single rosette has a diameter up to 12 cm; the rosette axis is short, thick and covered with the pale-white sheaths of the leaves. The spreading blades are narrow-triangular, 1-1.2 cm broad at the base and taper to a sharp, hard terminal thorn; the margins have bright yellow spines about 3 mm in length; the upper sides of the blades are nearly glabrous and therefore bright, dark-green in contrast to the other species of Abromeitiella which have leaves whose upper surfaces are densely lepidote. Another difference, especially between A. lotteae and A. lorentziana, to which A. lotteae is related, is the color of the flowers. In A. lorentziana the petals are bright green and in A. lotteae they are brown-winered and green tipped.
  
  A new key to the genus Abromeitiella follows:
  1A. Leaf blades not longer than 22 mm; rosettes therefore small, petals green A. brevifolia .
  1B. Leaf blades longer than 22 mm, 5-15 cm long .......................... 2
  
  2A. Petals bright green; blade upperside densely gray lepidote; few spines along the leaf
  margin ......... . . . . . . . . . . . . . A. lorentziana 2B. Petals brown-winered; blade upperside nearly glabrous and therefore bright, dark-green
  with stiff, yellow-brown spines along the leaf margin ........... A. lotteae
  
  All 3 species live in similar habitats: they are high-Andean plants of the dry, wind-blown, grassy-rocky puna, where they appear often in such masses that they are the dominant plant in the landscape. All 3 species represent the life-form of extreme cushion plants with a regular semiglobular surface. In the Andes of Peru this growth form is represented by species of the genus Azorella in the family Asteraceae.
  The distribution of Abromeitiella brevifolia extends from southern Bolivia (Tarija) up to northern Argentina; A lorentziana is known only from Northwest Argentina; A. lotteae is known today only from the type locality. It is associated with a small form of Tillandsia sphaerocephala, a new small Tillandsia, ?: mollis (n.n. Hromadnik) and Cleistocactus straussii. All 3 species grow very well in cultivation, especially with cacti from the high Andes.
  I wish to thank Dr. and Mrs. R. Hromadnik for the living material they gave to the Botanical Garden of the University of Heidelberg. —See Rauh 1973-1991