Aechmea recurvipetala Leme & L.Kollmann
Literature references:
Comments:
- Distribution and habitat: Aechmea recurvipetala was originally discovered in the region of Parque Estadual do Alto Cariri, situated in Minas Gerais state, at the border with Bahia, more precisely in the Fazenda Duas Barras private reserve (Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural da Fazenda Duas Barras). It is a large sized species that grows exclusively on large canopy trees of the Atlantic Forest, at about 900 m elevation, being very difficult to be observed when in bloom due its comparative inconspicuous inflorescences that are not held much above the leaf rosette. The presence of blooming specimens was only detected after observing hummingbirds repeatedly visiting some leaf rosettes, thus attracting our attention to these specimens, which made us notice the flowers.
Observations: Aechmea recurvipetala was found during a Bromeliaceae survey conducted in Alto Cariri State Park with the support of the Instituto Estadual de Florestas (IEF) of Minas Gerais. It is a member of Aechmea subgenus Chevaliera (Gaudich. ex Beer) Baker, and belongs to the A. conifera species complex. The closest relative is A. heterosepala Leme (2010: 131), from which the new species differs by its erect floral bracts (vs. suberect), which are distinctly imbricate (vs. not imbricate toward the apex), not forming any pouches around the flowers (vs. forming a distinct utricle around the flowers); shorter sepals (22–23 mm vs. 29–30 mm long) with a mucronate apex (vs. apex long subulate-cuspidate), and by the narrowly ovate petals (vs. narrowly spatulate), which are shorter (21–23 mm vs. 32–35 mm) and strongly spirally recurved at anthesis (vs. erect). —See Leme & Kollmann 2011
