Orthophytum amoenum (Ule) Smith (1955: 33)

Louzada, Rafael Batista & Wanderley, Maria Das Graças Lapa, 2010, Revision of Orthophytum (Bromeliaceae): the species with sessile inflorescences, Phytotaxa 13, pp. 1-26 : 5-7

Orthophytum amoenum (Ule) Smith (1955: 33) , Figs. 2A–J , 7B .

Basionym: Sincoraea amoena Ule (1908: 191) .

Type:— BRAZIL. Bahia: Serra do Sincorá , 1400 m, E. Ule 7106, (lectotype B!).

Plants rupicolous, stoloniferous, stems short, 2–3.7 × 2–2.5 cm. Leaves arching. Leaf sheaths greenish-white, broadly ovate, 0.6–1.5 × 0.7–2.5 cm, lepidote on abaxial surfaces and sparsely lepidote on adaxial surfaces, margins serrate, prickles 0.5–1 mm long. Leaf blades coriaceous, concave, wine red or pink to red at base, linear-triangular or narrowly triangular, 4.7–17.3 × 0.5–1 cm, attenuate, densely lepidote abaxially, sparsely lepidote adaxially, margins serrate, prickles straight or antrorse, ca 1.5–3 mm long, apices mucronate. Inflorescences sessile, compound, many-flowered. Primary bracts coriaceous, red or pink, triangular to narrowly triangular, 3.3–6.5 × 1.4–1.5 cm, sparsely lepidote, margins serrate, apices mucronulate. Vestigial floral bract present. Floral bracts subcoriaceous, red or pink, asymmetrical, carinate, triangular, ca 1.8 × 1 cm, glabrous, margins serrate, apices mucronate. Sepals red or pink, asymmetrical, carinate, narrowly elliptic or lanceolate, 1.1–1.2 × 0.3 cm, glabrous, margins entire, apices acuminate. Petals white, linear-spatulate, 1.5– 1.6 × 0.4–0.5 cm, glabrous, apices obtuse. Petal appendages sacciform, lacerate, 3–4 mm from the base. Callosities inconspicous. Stamens with antepetalous filaments 2.5–3 mm long and adnate to the petals, the antesepalous ones free, ca 8 mm long. Anthers yellow, 3.2–3.5 mm long, apices apiculate. Ovaries trigonous, styles 12 mm long. Epigenous tubes present, 2 mm long. Ovules ca 20 per placenta. Fruits and seeds not seen.

Distribution and habitat: — Orthophytum amoenum (Ule) L.B.Sm. is known from Lençóis and Palmeiras counties in Bahia. It grows rupicolous, frequently exposed to the sun in rocky outcrops in campos rupestres.

IUCN conservation status: —CR B1ab (ii, iii). Orthophytum amoenum is well represented in herbaria, but all specimens refer only to a single locality, where it occurs on two adjacent hills: Morro do Pai Inácio and Morro da Mãe Inácia. In recent field trips to these areas, a decline in the quality of the habitat was noted. The area is frequently visited by tourists, causing disturbance to the population of this species.

Comments: — Orthophytum amoenum is morphologically similar to O. navioides (L.B.Sm.) Smith (1955: 34) , however the leaf blades of O. amoenum are wider and shorter (4.7–17.3 × 0.5–1 cm vs. 8–23 × 0.4–0.7 cm) and strongly coriaceous, presenting long and sparse prickles (1.5–3 vs. 1–1.5 mm long). Floral features of these species are easily distinguished, with obtuse petals apices in O. amoenum and subacute in O. navioides , and larger flowers in O. navioides . Orthophytum navioides occurs in shady places on rocks near streams and waterfalls forming dense mats, while O. amoenum grows in sunny habitats, in grassland on rocky fields, with fewer and more widely spaced individuals.

Additional specimens examined: — BRAZIL. Bahia: Lençóis, BR 242 , 9 November 1988 (fl), Wanderley et al. 1598 ( SP) ; Chapadinha, 23 February 2003 (fl), Rapini & Fiaschi s.n. ( SP 364464, HUEFS 70197); Palmeiras, Morro da Mãe Inácia , 14 January 2006 (fl), Wanderley et al. 2521, 2522, 2528 ( SP) ; Morro do Pai Inácio , 29 February 1980 (fl), Mori 13293 ( CEPEC) ; 16 November 1983 (fl), Martinelli et al. 9793 ( RB) ; 19 February 1983 (fl), Noblick & Pinto 2822 ( CEPEC, RB, SP) ; 21 July 1981 (fl), Pirani et al. CFCR 1620 ( RB) ; June 1986 (fl), Santos s.n. ( HUEFS 10067 ) ; 8 November 1997 (fl), Guedes et al. 5514 ( ALCB) ; 26 October 2004 (fl), Carvalho et al. PCD 1023 ( ALCB, SP) ; 15 April 2005 (fl), Cardoso et al. 428 ( HUEFS) .

Figures

FIGURE 2. A–J. Orthophytum amoenum (Ule) L.B.Sm. (Wanderley et al. 2528, SP). — A. Habit. — B. Flower. — C. Floral bract. — D. Sepal. — E. Petal with stamen, showing petals appendages and petals callosities. — F. Detail of the petal lobe. — G. Petals appendages sacciform with lacerate margins. — H. Style and stigma. — I. Detail of the tricostate style. — J. Detail of the stigma.

FIGURE 7. — A. Orthophytum albopictum. — B. Orthophytum amoenum. — C. Orthophytum burle–marxii. — D. Orthophytum hatschbachii. — E. Orthophytum heleniceae. — F. Orthophytum humile. (Photos: Abel A. Conceição [A– B] and Suzana E. Martins [E]).