DISCUSSION
Canistrnm guzmanioides is apparently not closely related to any known species. It is distinguished by its overall delicate appearance, absence of spines on leaves and primary bracts, densely involucrate inflorescence raised high above the leaf rosette, primary bracts hiding the fascicles, for the most part, and petals rose near the apex, forming a subtubulose corolla.
The bipinnate inflorescence and sublinear petals make C. guzmanioides intermediate between the type subgenus of Canistrnm and the subgenus Cucullatanthus. It may be confused with a non-spinose form of Canistropsis billbergioides because of its overall appearance (but not because of flower traits) and because it produces rather thin stolons.
Canistrum guzmanioides grows in the uinderstory of the westernmost sector of well-preserved moist Atlantic slope forest in the State of Bahia, at altitudes of ca. 800 m. The site is now a state reserve and is surprisingly rich in bromeliad species. This rare bromeliad diversity is shown by the fact that at least four other new bromeliad species, growing sympatric with C. guzmanioides have been discovered in the area; these are: Aechmea canaliculata (Leme & Luther, 1998), A. glandulosa, Araeococcus montanus (Leme, 1999a) and Ronnbergia neoregelioides (Leme, 1999b) . In the same habitat we find, among others, Aechmea amorimii, Hohenbergia correia-araujoi, Neoregelia crispata, Nidularium procerum, Vriesea psittacina, V. noblickii and V. minuta. There are three clones growing in cultivation from the same geographic area
