Vriesea nubicola 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 : 26-29

Vriesea nubicola Leme , sp. nov. ( Figs. 10 , A–B, 11 , A–F)

A Vriesea hoehneana , cui affinis, laminis foliorum latioribus, ramo primario stipite tribracteato, bracteis floriferis haud secundis, lustrosis, floribus diurnis, petalis anguste obovatis, appendicis petalorum irregulariter dentatis et corollis tubulosis differt.

Type:— BRAZIL. Rio de Janeiro: Nova Friburgo, Parque Estadual dos Três Picos, Pedra da Cabeça de Dragão , 22º 19.13’ S, 42º 43.54’ W, 2078 m, 4 October 2009, Leme 8033 (holotype RB) .

Plant terrestrial, flowering ca. 165 cm high. Leaves 30 in number, coriaceous, densely rosulate, forming a broadly crateriform rosette; sheaths broadly elliptic, 15–16 × 13 cm, densely and minutely brown lepidote on both sides, dark brown toward the base; blades broadly lingulate, not narrowed at the base, 20–25 × 9.0– 10.5 cm, green, not lustrous, sparsely and inconspicously white lepidote to glabrescent, apex rounded to broadly acute and minutely apiculate. Peduncle stout, ca. 80 cm long, 1.0– 1.3 cm in diameter, erect, glabrous, darkreddish-green, smooth; peduncle bracts broadly ovate, acute and minutely apiculate, 4–6 × 3.5–4.0 cm, erect and enfolding the peduncle, greenish-yellow to pale reddish-castaneous toward the apex, glabrescent, lustrous, the basal ones exceeding the internodes, the upper ones equaling to slightly shorter than the internodes. Inflorescence laxly once-branched, ca. 55 cm long, erect to suberect; primary bracts resembling the upper peduncle bracts, suborbicular, 4 × 3.8 cm, greenish-yellow toward the base and reddish-castaneous toward the apex, distinctly shorter than the stipes; branches ca. 2 in number (including the terminal one), the lateral one ca. 35 cm long (at early anthesis), ascending, 8- to 12-flowered; stipe ca. 13 cm long, ca. 0.8 cm in diameter, slightly complanate, glabrous; bearing ca. 3 sterile bracts equally arranged, from equaling to slightly exceeding the internodes, greenish-yellow to pale reddish-castaneous, ecarinate, the upper one subinflated; the terminal branch ca. 55 cm long at early anthesis, ca. 16-flowered; its stipe ca. 23 cm long; bearing ca. 6 sterile bracts equally arranged, from equaling to slightly exceeding the internodes, greenish-yellow to pale reddish-castaneous, ecarinate, the upper one subinflated; rachis slightly flexuous, internodes 2–2.5 cm long, 0.5–0.6 cm in diameter, pale reddish-castaneous to greenish, glabrous, terete; floral bracts suborbicular, 35–40 × 34–36 mm, apex obtuse to emarginate, greenish-yellow to pale reddish-castaneous near the base and along the apical margins, inconspicuously and sparsely white lepidote inside, lustrous outside, imbricate before anthesis, at anthesis not enfolding the sepals and remaining suberect, distinctly shorter than the sepals, strongly convex and appearing inflated, finely nerved, ecarinate. Flowers distichous, diurnal, odorless, laxly to subdensely (the basal ones) to densely (the upper ones) arranged at early anthesis, strongly downwardly secund at anthesis, ca. 70 mm long (including the stamens); pedicels ca. 17 mm long, ca. 9 mm in diameter at the apex, green, glabrous; sepals obovate, apex obtuse-emarginate, ca. 34 × 19 mm, inconspicuously white lepidote inside, glabrous outside, free, ecarinate, greenish near the base and yellow toward the apex, coriaceous near the base; petals narrowly obovate and abruptly narrowed near the apex at ca. 3/4 of their length, apex narrowly emarginate, the narrowed apical portion strongly spreading-recurved at anthesis, ca. 42 × 14 mm, yellow, connate at the base for ca. 3 mm, forming a tubular corolla; bearing at the base 2 subspatulate, irregularly dentate, 10–11 × 3–4 mm appendages adnate to the petals for ca. 8 mm, its free blades spreading at anthesis and covering the ovary. Stamens exceeding the petals and exserted at anthesis; filaments subterete, yellow, adnate to the petals for ca. 3 mm, inconspicuously if at all dilated toward the apex; anthers linear, ca. 7 mm long, base and apex obtuse, fixed near the base, erect at anthesis; style exceeding the anthers; stigma convolute-bladed, densely papillose, yellow, ca. 2 mm in diameter; ovules long caudate. Capsules unknown.

Distribution and habitat:— Vriesea nubicola was discovered during the Bromeliaceae survey of Três Picos State Park in Rio de Janeiro state, with the support of the Instituto Estadual do Ambiente (INEA). It is an inhabitant of the high-altitude grasslands (Campos de Altitude), at about 2,000 m elevation, where it grows terrestrially fully esposed to sunlight, forming dense groups of plants in the grass-like vegetation on the mountain top Cabeça de Dragão. Its population at the type locality is reduced in number of individuals, but probably V.nubicola can also be found at the ecologically similar foggy sites of the neighboring montain tops, that are only accessible by technical climbing.

Etymology:—The epithet “ nubicola ” means “living in a cloudy place”, refering to the frequently foggy condition of the high-altitude grasslands where it occurs.

Observations:—Despite having the typical aspect of a member of Vriesea section Xiphion , V.nubicola has diurnal flowers and tubular corollas (except for the apical portion of the petals), placing it closer to section Vriesea . However, the unusual shape of the petals that are abruptly narrowed near the apex at ca. 3/4 of their length, combined with the typical Xiphion petals appendages (i.e., subspatulate and irregularly dentate) suggest its possible intermediate status.

Apparently, V. hoehneana L.B.Sm. is the morphologically most similarto V.nubicola , but this the latter differs by the wider leaf blades (9–10.5 vs. 5.5–8 cm wide), the stipe of the primary branch bearing ca. 3 sterile bracts (vs. stipe ebracteate to bearing a single sterile bract), the floral bracts remaining erect and not at all secund with the flowers (vs. secund with the flowers), lustrous (vs. not lustrous), diurnal flowers (vs. nocturnal), narrowly obovate petals (vs. spatulate), with irregularly dentate basal appendages (vs. acute), and by the tubular corolla (vs. campanulate).

Figures

FIGURE 10. A–B. Vriesea nubicola (Leme 8033 & Ilha). A. Habit. B. Floral detail. C–D. Vriesea pulchra (Kollmann 11976). C. Habit. D. Floral detail.

FIGURE 11. A–F. Vriesea nubicola (Leme 8033). A. Leaf blade apex. B. Flower. C. Floral bract. D. Sepal. E. Petal. F. Anther. G–K. Vriesea pulchra (Kollmann 11976). G. Leaf blade apex. H. Flower. I. Sepal. J. Petal. K. Floral bract.