Hoplocryptanthus (Mez, 1981: 202) Leme, S. Heller & Zizka (2017: 62)

Leme, Elton M. C., Ribeiro, Otávio B. C., Souza, Fernanda Vidigal D., Souza, Everton Hilo De, Kollmann, Ludovic J. C. & Fontana, André P., 2020, Miscellaneous new species in the “ Cryptanthoid complex ” (Bromeliaceae: Bromelioideae) from Eastern Brazil, Phytotaxa 430 (3), pp. 157-202 : 177

3. Hoplocryptanthus (Mez, 1981: 202) Leme, S. Heller & Zizka (2017: 62)

Holocryptanthus was considered a subgenus of Cryptanthus and its distinct generic status was proposed by Leme et al. (2017). It comprises eight species endemic to the central-southeast region of Minas Gerais state, growing exclusively in Campos Rupestres vegetation mostly in the Iron Quadrangle (Quadrilátero Ferrífero) area, south of the Espinhaço Range, with some southwestern extensions towards the county of São Tomé das Letras. Hoplocryptanthus has a more inland geographycal distribution compared to other Cryptanthoid genera (e.g., Cryptanthus ), growing in areas from 500 to 1834 m elevation.

The stemless to long caulescent plants of Hoplocryptanthus are saxicolous or epilithic, homogamous, propagating by short axillary shoots. The inflorescence is compound or rarely simple, sessile and corymbose, with sessile or short pedicellate fragrant flowers. The sepals and petals are connate at the base. The petals are unappendaged, forming at the base a distinct common structure with filaments and style, and the corolla is of the open, fan-like type. The stigma is of the cylindric-distent type, pollen are medium-sized, the fruits are small with persistent sepals usually slightly shorter to equalling the fruit length, or rarely up to 1.4 times the fruit length, producing a large number of small-sized seeds.