Puya larae R.Vásquez & Ibisch
Literature references:
Comments:
- The Rio Boopi, a relatively short tributary of Rio Beni, has its source north of Chulumani. The Boopi Valley houses an interesting flora with a number of botanical rarities, such as the cacti Lepismium miyagawae (Barthlott & Rauh) Barthlott and Selenicereus inermis (Otto) Britton & Rose, as well as the endemic bromeliads Pitcairnia aurea Rusby ex L.B. Smith and Tillandsia rusbyi Baker. The latter two species were discovered in 1921 during the Mulford Expedition, which was guided by Dr. Henry H. Rusby, and was aimed at the investigation of medicinal plants for the pharmaceutical company Mulford & Co. (Cardenas 1953). Last year, a botanical expedition to the Bolivian Andes was made by Jule Peters, Nicole Schutz, Raul Lara R. and the first author, which also led them into the Boopi Valley. The primary goal of the journey was to produce an inventory of the species of Deuterocohnia and Fosterella; observations of other taxa were keenly noted, too. Along the river banks of Rio Boopi and its tributaries, two undeterminable Puya species were found, which are proposed as new taxa herein. —See Die Bromelie
