Aechmea aiuruocensis Leme, 2011

Leme, Elton M. C. & Kollmann, Ludovic J. C., 2011, New species and a new combination of Brazilian Bromeliaceae, Phytotaxa 16 (1), pp. 1-36 : 3-6

Aechmea aiuruocensis Leme , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 , C–E, 3 , A–H)

Species nova ab Aechmea phanerophlebia , cui affinis, inflorescentia basi latiora, apicem versus simplicissima, bracteis scapalibus suberectis haud imbricatis, floribus ramulorum plus numerosis, sepalis longioribus leviter asymmetricis denseque glandulosis, appendicis petalorum brevioribus cuneatis truncatisque et ovario glanduloso differt.

Type:— BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: Aiuruoca, Parque Estadual da Serra do Papagaio, Trilha do Fogão para o Pico do Papagaio , 22º 02.01’ S, 44º 39.50’ W, 1755 m, 11 March 2010, Leme 8113 (holotype RB, isotype HB) .

Plants terrestrial, rupicolous or sometimes epiphytic, 90–110 cm tall when flowering. Leaves ca. 30, rosulate, suberect, coriaceous, forming a broad funnelform rosette; sheaths ovate, 19–27 × 14–16 cm, reddish-purple on both sides and toward the apex but mainly adaxially, paler colored near the base, densely white lepidote on both sides; blades linear, not narrowed toward the base, 45–70 × 5.5–7.0 cm, green to reddish toward the apex when exposed to full sun, densely white lepidote abaxially, adaxially densely and inconspicuously white lepidote with trichomes forming a membrane, apex triangular then cuspidate, margins densely spinose; spines dark brown, narrowly triangular, flat, the basal ones 2–4 × 1-2 mm at the base, 1–7 mm apart, spreading to slightly retrorse, the upper ones 0.5–2.0 × 0.5–1.5 mm at the base, 2–8 mm apart, antrorse. Peduncle erect, 45–50 cm long, ca. 2.0– 2.5 cm in diameter, rose at anthesis to wine colored afterwards, subdensely and inconspicuously white lepidote but soon glabrous, trichomes fimbriate; peduncle bracts narrowly lanceolate, acute and slenderly apiculate to acuminate, 10–27 × 3.5–6.5 cm, erect, nerved, sparsely to subdensely and inconspicuously white lepidote to glabrescent, distinctly exceeding the internodes and enfolding the peduncle at its base, but not imbricate, thin in texture, distinctly nerved, rose, the basal ones spinulose at the apex, the upper ones entire. Inflorescence narrowly subpyramidal, once-branched to rarely and inconspicuously twicebranched in the basal half, simple in the apical half, distinctly shorter than to exceeding the leaves, erect, with a “soap-like” fragrance (fragrance not restricted to the flowers), the fertile part 18–23 cm long, 8–10 cm in diameter at base; rachis ca. 2 cm in diameter at the base and ca. 0.5 cm in diameter at the apex, straight, subdensely white lepidote to glabrescent, terete, rose at anthesis to wine colored afterwards; the simple part of the inflorescence densely spicate, with a narrow conelike shape, 10–15 cm long, 4.5–5.0 cm in diameter at the base (excluding the petals), ca. 2.5 cm in diameter at the apex (excluding the petals), bearing 80–100 flowers densely and polystichously arranged; primary bracts ovate-triangular, acuminate, entire, distinctly nerved, glabrous, rose, membranaceous, subspreading to suberect with upwardly curved apex, 2–4 × 1.1–1.8 cm, distinctly shorter than the branches, basal margins sometimes undulate; primary branches 20–25 in number, polystichously and densely arranged, subspreading to suberect, 4.5–6.0 × 2.0– 3.5 cm (excluding the petals), narrowly ovoid to subcylindric, subsessile, bearing 9–11 flowers that are densely and polystichously arranged, hiding the rachis at the beginning of the anthesis to subdensely arranged and exposing the rachis at the end of anthesis; rachis 2–4 mm in diameter, bearing inconspicuous and sparse glandulose trichomes, whitish-rose at the beginning of the anthesis to wine colored at the end of anthesis, slightly flexuous toward the apex; floral bracts ovate, acuminate-caudate, not pungent, 17–25 × 10–15 mm, partially enfolding the base of the flowers, suberect, thin in texture, entire, distinctly nerved, bearing inconspicuous and sparse glandular trichomes, rose, ecarinate but bearing a protruded central nerve toward the apex, the basal ones about equaling the sepals, the upper ones slightly to distinctly shorter than the sepals, basal margins sometimes undulate. Flowers 25–27 mm long (including the petals), odorless, suberect at anthesis, sessile; sepals ovate, slightly asymmetrical, rose, bearing inconspicuous and subdense glandular trichomes, ecarinate, free or nearly so, 13–14 × 5 mm, including the ca. 5 mm long, suberect to erect apical mucro; petals spatulate, obtuse-emarginate, slightly cucullate, ca. 16 × 7 mm, free, purple on their apical half and whitish toward the base, erect except for the slightly suberect apex, forming a tubular corolla, bearing at the base 2 cuneate, truncate, ca. 2 × 1.2 mm, crenulate appendages, without any callosities; filaments ca. 10 mm long, slightly complanate, not at all dilated toward the apex, whitish, the antesepalous ones free, the antepetalous ones basally adnate to the petals for ca. 4 mm; anthers ca. 5 mm long, dorsifixed slightly below the middle, white, base obtuse, apex inconspicuously apiculate; pollen broadly ellipsoid, biporate, exine reticulate, lumina subrounded, muri narrowed; stigma conduplicate-spiral, ovoid-capitate, purplish-white, ca. 2 mm long, margins shortly lacerate; ovary narrowly subclavate, subtrigonous to subquadrate, ca. 9 mm long, ca. 5 mm in diameter at the apex, rose to whitish toward the base, bearing inconspicuous and subdense glandular trichomes; epigynous tube funnelform, 1.0– 1.2 mm long; placentation central to apical; ovules long obtuse. Fruits unknown.

Distribution and habitat:— Aechmea aiuruocensis is a conspicuous species in the Bromeliaceae community of the Atlantic forest that partially covers Serra do Papagaio, a mountain range situated in the State Park of the same name in Minas Gerais State. It is apparently endemic, living usually inside the forest, between 1,700 and 2,000 m, and thriving as a terrestrial or rupicolous, but sometimes it also assumes an epiphytic habit. At higher elevations, it was observed growing at the edge of the cloud forest in more exposed conditions and forming large dense groups of plants.

The discovery of this new species is the result of a Bromeliaceae survey currently conducted in the State Park of Serra do Papagaio, with the support of the Instituto Estadual de Florestas (IEF) of Minas Gerais.

Etymology:—The epithet refers to the county of Aiuruoca, Minas Gerais State, where this new taxon was discovered.

Additional specimens examined (paratypes):–– BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: Aiuruoca, Parque Estadual da Serra do Papagaio, Trilha do Fogão para o Pico do Papagaio , 22º 02.52’ S, 44º 39.44’ W, 1850 m, 11 March 2010, Leme 8120 ( RB, HB); Aiuruoca, Parque Estadual da Serra do Papagaio , Serra dos Garcia, proximidade da Pousada do Lado de Lá, início da trilha para o Pico do Bandeira , na borda da mata de galeria, 22º 02.50’ S, 44º 41.16’ W, 1925 m, 12 March 2010, Leme 8133 ( RB, HB) .

Observations:— Aechmea aiuruocensis is a member of subgenus Aechmea , closely related to A. phanerophlebia Baker (1889: 47) . However, this new species differs from it by the inflorescence that is broader at its base (8 – 10 cm vs. until 6.5 cm in diameter) and simple at the apex (vs. once-branched troughout), the peduncle bracts suberect and not imbricate (vs. imbricate), flowers per branches more numerous (9 to 11 vs. 2 to 5 in number), the longer sepals (13 – 14 mm vs. ca. 10 mm long) slightly asymmetric (vs. strongly asymmetric with the lateral wing distinctly exceeding the apex and densely glandulose (vs. not glandulose), the shorter petals appendages (ca. 2 mm vs. 4.0 – 4.5 mm long) cuneate (vs. narrowly obovate) and truncate, and by the glandulose ovary (vs. densely white sublanate and not glandulose).

Figures

FIGURE 1. A–B. Aechmea subintegerrima (Leme 271). A. Inflorescence. B. Floral details. C–E. Aechmea aiuruocensis (Leme 8113). C. Habit. D. Inflorescence. E. Floral details.

FIGURE 3. A–H. Aechmea aiuruocensis (Leme 8113). A. Leaf blade apex. B. Basal margin of the leaf blade. C, D. Floral bracts. E. Flower. F, G. Sepals. H. Petal and stamens. I–M. Aechmea altocaririensis (Leme 8217). I. Leaf blade apex. J. Basal floral bract. K. Flower. L. Sepal. M. Petal. N–Q. Aechmea limai (Leme 6307). N. Leaf blade apex. O. Flower. P. Sepal. Q. Petal. R–Z. Aechmea recurvipetala Leme & L.Kollmann (Leme 8207). R. Leaf blade apex. S. Basal margin of the leaf blade. T. Floral bract. U. Flower without petals. V. Abaxial sepal. W. Adaxial sepal. Y. Corolla. X. Petal. Z. Longitudinal section of the ovary.