Since Edmundo Pereira described Aechmea flavo-rosea there has been some discussion about the validity and the maintenance of such an interesting bromeliad in the rank of species. The description was based on a specimen that bloomed in cultivation in Roberto Burle Marx's collection and he does not know the exact place where it was collected.
Being so, we must stress here that the pictures printed in this Journal were not taken in the habitat of Aechmea flavo-rosea. In fact, they show a vigorous clump from which the type specimen was selected. That clump can still be observed thriving in full sun along the back path of Burle Marx's mansion.
As was reported in the Journal (1980), Dr. Lyman B. Smith did not consider the characteristic mentioned by Edmundo Pereira good enough to assure to Aechmea flavo-rosea the status of distinct species when compared with its closest relative A. caesia E. Morren ex Baker. Concerning the same problem, Harry Luther recently stated that, in his opinion, the Pereira species would be better positioned from the taxonomic viewpoint in an infraspecific category, as a variety or subspecies of A. caesia.
Without doubt, before any future conclusion can be reached, it is necessary to accumulate more field data on these two species. With Aechmea flavo-rosea, the first step can be represented by a well-documented collection of the specimen shown in figure 8. It was found by Carlos Eduardo de S. Carvalho, a bird watcher, in the County of Santa Maria Madalena, Rio de Janeiro State, growing epiphytically in a humid and forested area about 600 meters high.
In contrast with the white cross-banded leaves of the type plant of Aechmea flavo-rosea, the new collection shows entirely dark green leaves forming a funnelform rosette, as well as more intensely colored bracts with visible loss of concentration of white scales; at least the yellow color of the petals remained unchanged, differing from the reddish lilac petals presented by A. caesia.
On the basis of this newly collected specimen we can better understand the degree of variation of Aechmea flavo-rosea and realize how close it could approach to A. caesia. On the other hand, of the two known collections of A. caesia, one of them was made in Santa Maria Madalena ( or just Madalena) by Mello Filho, showing that both species are sympatric or just a case of misidentification (but not in Dr. Smith's point of view).
Now we know, at least where to start looking for Aechmea flavo-rosea in order to obtain other information, besides that presented here, which is not enough for a definitive conclusion, although I earlier agreed with Mr. Luther's suggestion to transform the Pereira species to a subspecies or variety (or even a form) of A. caesia. —SeeLeme 1990fp. 40(6): 261-262
