Orthophytum ophiuroides Louzada & Wanderley (2008: 406)

Louzada, Rafael Batista & Wanderley, Maria Das Graças Lapa, 2010, Revision of Orthophytum (Bromeliaceae): the species with sessile inflorescences, Phytotaxa 13, pp. 1-26 : 18-20

Orthophytum ophiuroides Louzada & Wanderley (2008: 406) , figs. 10A–G, 13D.

Type:— BRAZIL. Bahia: Lençóis, Rio Mandassaia , 15 January 2006, M.G.L. Wanderley, A.A. Conceição, S.E. Martins & R.B. Louzada. 2532 (holotype SP!, isotype HUEFS!) .

Plants rupicolous, stoloniferous, stems short, 1.2–3 × 1.5–2 cm. Leaves arching. Leaf sheaths white, broadly triangular or ovate-triangular, 0.4–0.8 × 0.7–0.8 cm long, glabrous, margins serrate, prickles 0.5 mm long. Leaf blades subcoriaceous, plane or slightly concave, green or partially red at anthesis, linear-triangular, 0.6– 26 × 0.2–0.4 cm, attenuate, glabrous or sparsely lepidote, margins serrate, prickles antrorse 0.3–0.4 mm long, apices long-attenuate. Inflorescences sessile, compound, many–flowered. Primary bracts subcoriaceous, red or pink, triangular-lanceolate, 2–8.5 cm long, lepidote, margins serrate, apices acuminate. Vestigial floral bract present. Floral bracts subcoriaceous, red, asymmetrical, carinate or ecarinate, triangular, 0.9–1.2 × 0.6– 0.7 cm, lepidote, margins serrate or entire, apices mucronulate. Sepals red, asymmetrical, carinate, narrowly triangular-ovate, ca 1 × 0.3 cm, glabrous, margins entire, apices acuminate. Petals white, linear-spatulate, ca 1.5 × 0.4 cm, glabrous, obtuse, apices apiculate. Petal appendages sacciform, lacerate, ca 6 mm from base. Callosities conspicous. Stamens with antepetalous filaments ca 3.5 mm long and adnate to the petals, the antesepalous ones free, ca 9 mm long. Anthers yellow, 2.3–2.5 mm long, apices apiculate. Ovaries trigonous, styles ca 10 mm long. Epigenous tubes absent. Ovules numerous. Fruits and seeds not seen.

Distribution and habitat: — Orthophytum ophiuroides is only known from Lençóis county in Bahia. It occurs on rocky outcrops in shaded habitats near streams.

IUCN conservation status: —EN B2ab (ii, iii). Orthophytum ophiuroides is known from a few herbaria collections and it is a species with a limited distribution; an area less than 500 km 2 was estimated. It is considered threatened with a risk of becoming extinct in the wild, because it occurs in less than five localities and its suitable habitat is declining.

Comments: — Orthophytum ophiuroides is similar to O. navioides , but differs from that species by having shorter petals (ca. 1.5 vs. 2.5–3 cm) and sepals (ca. 1 vs. 2–3 cm), without glandular trichomes. In addition, the bracts and sepals are red (not green).

Erroneous identifications of Orthophytum ophiuroides in herbarium collections are quite common. Vouchers are sometimes identified as O. humile , but O. ophiuroides has wider and glabrous leaf blades (vs. narrow and densely lepidote).

Additional specimens examined: — BRASIL. Bahia: Lençóis, Poço Harley , 13 January 2006 (fl), Louzada & Moreira 7 ( SP) ; 15 January 2006 (fl), Wanderley et al. 2531 ( SP) ; 8 April 2008 (fl), Louzada & Wanderley 88 ( SP) .