According to Luther (2002), the genus Pitcairnia L'Heritier is comprised of 342 taxa (including species, varieties and forms, and not including members of the genus Pepinia Brongn. ex Andre, sensu Varadarajan & Gilmartin 1988); or it contains 396 taxa in the concept of Smith & Downs (1974), including all species of Pepinia (sensu Taylor & Robinson 1999). Despite being the largest genus in the subfamily Pitcairnioideae, Pitcairnia is sparsely represented in eastern Brazil, with only 11 species reported on the Brazilian Atlantic coast, (Wendt & Chamas 1997).
In a study conducted by Wendt (1994), six species of Pitcairnia were recognized from the Atlantic coast state of Rio de Janeiro. However, recent investigations conducted by Wendt et al. (2000) and Tatagiba (2003) suggest that detailed taxonomic studies in the field and the use of neglected morphological characters as seen in living specimens may provide a new basis for consistent taxonomic segregation, mainly those related to P. flammea Lind. complex. (e.g., the re-establishment of P. corcovadensis Wawra to species status).This new taxonomic approach has contributed tremendously to a more precise assessment of biodiversity patterns in eastern Brazil, and has also made possible the recognition of undescribed species, like the one presented here. —SeeLeme 2004cp. 55(4): 182-185
