Discussion
Members of Deuterocohnia can be separated into two groups. One has the rosettes in colonies but not cushion forming, has distinct peduncles and perennial inflorescences and is distributed in the lowlands and middle montane elevations, rarely higher. Members of the second form dense and extensive cushions, have annual inflorescences and are exclusively found from middle montane to high altitudes. Petals in both groups are usually yellow, yellow with green tips, or green. Red or brown colors are rare [D. brevispicata Rauh & L. Hrom., D. lotteae (Rauh) M. A. Spencer & L. B. Sm., and D. meziana Kuntze ex Mez var. carmineoviridiflora Rauh]. Deuterocohnia pedicellata is the fourth taxon exhibiting this unusual petal color and in combination with its distinctly pedicellate flowers it is easy to recognize even in fruiting stage (fig. 2). In its ample and slenderly branched inflorescence it resembles D. meziana and its variety carmineoviridiflora. However, both species also differ in sepal size and shape as is illustrated in figure 3. Sepals of D. meziana are oblong to lanceolate and minutely acute, they are hardly asymmetrically winged, those of D. pedicellata have a distinct lateral wing and are ovate and obtuse. Another unusual character shared by D. meziana var. carmineoviridiflora and D. pedicellata is the postanthetic spirally twisting of the petals which is otherwise restricted to the genus Puya. —SeeVidalia, Revista da
