DISCUSSION
Canistrum montanum is treated here as a new species because of its unique suite of morphological characteristics. The tubular rosette, the leaf blades that sometimes have irregular, dark purplish bands on the lower surface, and the mostly white flowers are similar to C..fosterianum, while the small flowers resemble those of C. auratum and C. seidelianum.
But C. montanum differs from these three species by its distinctly coriaceous leaves, densely spinose primary and floral bracts, and white sepals and petals, with a rose-lilac apical midsection.
In addition, the inflorescence has a rounded apex due to the prominence of the flowers, while in the rest of the species (especially in C. fosterianum), the flowers are more deeply inserted in the cup formed by the involucral and primary bracts. The clone that originated the holotype is characterized by more robust specimens, with darker colored leaf blades that tend to show the irregular dark purplish bands, even when growing in the shade. The clone that gave rise to the paratype was more exposed to the sun. These plants were smaller with more tubular rosettes and light green leaves. Under controlled lighting in a greenhouse, the leaves of plants from both sources became a rather uniform reddish purple. No significant differences were noted in the inflorescence of these two clones.
This new species comes from a mountainous region covered by moist Atlantic forest, occupying an altitudinal range from 200 (holotype) to 700 m (paratype). The upper slopes of these mountains are subject to intense fog. The forest is not as tall here (6-10 m) and the bromeliad community of the understory, including both epiphytes and terrestrial plants, is rich in species, as in the cloud forests of Rio de Janeiro and Espirito Santo. Bromeliad species not yet recorded for the state of Bahia such as Neoregelia pauciflora L. B. Sm. and Vriesea flammea L. B. Sm. were seen here, as well as the typical form of Nidularium innocentii Lemaire, with its wine-colored leaves.
This region still contains many organisms unknown to science, perhaps because it is hard to reach or maybe because the efforts of scientists have been concentrated in the lowland forests, always the first to succumb to deforestation. Actually, there are other undescribed bromeliad species growing in the area, such as the smallest Portea on record. Studies on these plants are now underway.
Canistrum montanum is a sun-loving epiphyte that grows on the more exposed branches of tree canopies. It is easily recognized even from a distance by its huge clumps of tubeshaped plants. C. camacaense is found in the same region, but lives only in the forest understory. The flowering period of C. montanum is imperfectly known, but it may possibly be from December to April, as in other species of this group.
The holotype originated from plants that were collected on the ground, having fallen from the tall trees that shade the cacao crop. The paratype specimens came from populations found at higher elevations on the edge of a clearing where, in spite of the remoteness of the site, the forest had been felled for subsistence farming (cassava) . The primary forest of this high mountain ridge had suffered the effects of selective logging could be seen by the huge scars left in the forest as the tree boles were skidded out destroying the understory. This species has not yet been observed growing in protected areas. —SeeLeme 1997a
