40- 19
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Aechmea mollis L.B.Sm. |
(subgen. Aechmea)Publ: Phytologia 20(3): 178 pl. 2 figs. 7, 8 (1970)
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Distribution: BRAZIL; Bahia,
Habitat: high restinga forest, near sea, 6 km SE of Una,
Etymology: The Latin word mollis means soft, tender or slack. Eut the reason this name was chosen is not clear, since the author did not include this information in the protologue, and it is not obvious from the morphology of the species. Nevertheless, the name mollis may reflect the slack, open rosette, the suave appearance of the inflorescence (softened by the woolly pubescence) or the delicate texture of the floral bracts.
Phenology: Aechmea mollis flowers from February to May. The flowers are visited in nature by a species of hummingbird (observed during a photography session). In cultivation, this bromelioid is well represented by three or four distinct clones.
