DISCUSSION
Of all the species that make up the "southern-Bahia complex" of Aechmea, A. mollis has the smallest primary bracts, so it is rarely confused with members of the typical nidularioid complex. It has a distinctly globose inflorescence covered by a woolly pubescence that hides the small apical mucros of the bracts and sepals. As in A. echinata, A. weberi and A. paradoxa, its close relatives, the sepals of A. mollis are strongly asymmetric, mucronate, connate at the base, alate-carinate, with keels decurrent on the ovary. According to the original description, the keels of the sepals are serrulate, and this trait is very clearly demonstrated in the sketch attached to the holotype. This fact is also pointed out by Philcox (1992), who presented a new drawing of the plant, but did not show the serrulate margin. So apparently, this trait is rather inconsistent. The sepal keel is not truly spinose, but corroded-crenulate, and may also be nearly entire in some specimens. The broadly acute, yellow petals of A. mollis form a short basal tube (ca. 2 mm long), which has not been reported before. The petals also have appendages with well developed blades, a characteristic not observed in the other species of the "southern-Bahia complex" of Aechmea. The ovules are apiculate and the pollen grains are similar to those of A. echinata and A. paradoxa (Halbritter & Till, unpubl. data) as was mentioned above. Fruit color varies from lilac to dark blue, as in most species of Aechmea.
DISTRIBUTION & HAB ITAT
A. mollis is endemic to the Una region of Bahia like the other Aechmea species that it resembles morphologically. It is found in the Una Biological Reserve and is conmon in the transition zone between Atlantic and coastal plain forest, at ca. 50 m altitude. This terrestrial species forms sparse populations in the litter layer overlying the sandy soils. A. curranii (L. B. Sm.) L.B. Sm. & M. A. Spencer, Neoregelia longisepala E. Pereira & I. A. Penna, Nidularium innocentii Lemaire, Vriesea recurvata Gaudichaud and other species share its habitat.
Aechmea mollis flowers from February to May. The flowers are visited in nature by a species of hummingbird (observed during a photography session). In cultivation, this bromelioid is well represented by three or four distinct clones. p. Canistrum
From KEW BULLETIN 47(2): 274. 1991 by Philcox
Aechmea mollis L. B. Smith in Phytologia 20: 178, pl. 2, figs 7, 8 (1970); L. B. Smith & Downs, Flora Neotropica 14: 1796 (1979)
Opportunity is taken here to illustrate this species, hitherto known only from the type collection, Belem 3684, but more recently collected by Ruth Storr from the type area.
This plant is characterised by its subnidular inflorescence which is densely brown-lanate, the indumentum being so dense as to leave only the primary bracts and yellow corolla evident. Other interesting features are the strongly keeled sepals which are serrulate along the ridge and the comparatively large petal appendages which are subcircular in outline although deeply folded in life.
BRAZIL. Bahia:.bank of Rio Una, near Una, 7 June 1968, Belem 3684 (holotype US; isotype NY); high restinga forest, near sea, 6 km SE of Una, 26 Jan. 1977, Storr 89 (CEPEC, K); 29 km from Una, W along road to Rio Branco, 24 Jan. 1977, Storr 128 (K). p. Kew Bull
