Orthophytum subg. Clavanthus, Leme, S. Heller & Zizka, 2017

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 : 193

Key to the species of Orthophytum subg. Clavanthus

The first identification key for the species of Orthophytum subg. Clavanthus , covering six known species then considered members of the so called “subcomplex O. mello-barretoi ”, was presented by Leme (2008). However, with the three proposed new species, the key must be updated to encompass them.

1 Leaf blades densely and distinctly covered by a dense layer of white trichomes on both sides completely obscuring the color of the blades.................................................................................................................................................................................................. 2

1a Leaf blades glabrous or inconspicuously white lepidote adaxially .................................................................................................... 5

2 Plants 9–13 cm tall; flower fascicles 7–9 in number.................................................................................................... O. cristaliense

2a Plants 17–19 cm tall; flower fascicles 4–5 in number........................................................................................................................ 3

3 Flowers 31–33 mm long; sepals ca. 18 mm long; petals 24–25 mm long .................................................................. O. piranianum

3a Flowers 45–46 mm long; sepals 26–30 mm long; petals 36–37 mm long......................................................................................... 4

4 Sepals 26–27 mm long, greenish, densely to subdensely white lepidote; petals greenish except for the white lobes......................... .................................................................................................................................................................................... O. schulzianum

4a Sepals ca. 30 mm long, reddish-orange toward the apex, glabrous; petals greenish-yellow.................................. O. eddie-estevesii

5 Plants 10–18 cm tall; leaf blades 12–21 cm long............................................................................................................................... 6

5a Plants 30–40 cm tall; leaf blades 30–90 cm long............................................................................................................................... 7

6 Leaf blades 12–14 in number; flowers 28–31 mm long; petals 23–26 × 4.5 mm .................................................. O. mello-barretoi

6a Leaf blades 13–21 in number; flowers 40–47 mm long; petals ca. 36 × 7 mm ......................................................... O. gouveianum

7 Leaf blades thick coriaceous, 2–5 mm thick near the base; sepals suboblong, apex acute..................................... O. diamantinense

7a Leaf blades coriaceous, to ca. 2 mm thick near the base; sepals narrowly lanceolate or triangular-lanceolate, apex acuminate...... 8

8 Leaf blades 38–90 × 3–4 mm, margins revolute; sepals 23–25 mm long.............................................................. O. graomogolense

8a Leaf blades 30–36 × 2.5–2.7 mm, margins erect; sepals 17–18 mm long ............................................................... O. viridissimum