Neoregelia
longisepala Pereira & Penna n. sp.
Plant : epiphytic.
Leaves : many, densely rosulate, forming an infundibuliform cavity, ligulate, rigid,
totally green, attaining more than a meter.
Sheaths
: elliptic, 30 cm long,
10 cm maximum width, densely lepidote
at both sides.
Blades : 85 cm long, sub-linear, maximum width 5 cm,
attenuate at apex, and ending in a spine, inconspicuos lepidote on both faces, with white scales densely adpressed, margin with
dark red spines upwardly directed, measuring 4 mm at base, 10 mm apart, smaller
and denser at the apex.
Scape : 5 cm long, 2 cm diameter.
Scape bracts : narrowly ovate, much acuminate, 6 cm long,
entire, yellowish.
Inflorescence : compound, multi-flowered, sub-capitate, 13
cm diameter, 9 cm long, forming a deep nest inside the leaves.
Primary bracts : narrowly ovate, very acuminate, 6 cm long,
entire, thin, yellowish, finely nervate, whitish- lepidote to apex.
Branches : corymbose, about 10 flowers.
Peduncle : thick , the outer 2 cm long, the inner 1 cm
long, considerably exceeding the bracts.
Floral bracts : lanceolate, very acuminate, apex spiny, 55 mm long, entire, thin ,greenish , finely
nervate but never carinate, white- lepidote
to apex, especially spiny, equaling the middle or exceeding the sepals.
Pedicels : 4 mm long, inconspicuous.
Flowers : 8 cm long.
Sepals : narrowly lanceolate, very acuminate and
spinescent, 50 mm long, 6 to 7 mm wide, asymmetric, green, ecarinate, 10 mm
connate at the base, white- lanate to apex .
Petals : spathulate, apiculate, 60 mm long, 15 mm
connate at base, violet, open at anthesis.
Stamens : 50 mm long, complanate filaments, 15 to 20
mm adnate to petals.
Anthers : lanceolate, mucronate, 14 mm long, dorsifixed
over the base.
Epigynous tube : 4 mm long.
Ovary : sub-ovate, 20 mm long, white.
Placenta : fixed near locule´s apex .
Ovules : apiculate.
Typus : Brazil, Bahia State, Una , Una- Canavieira Road, BA-001, in hygrophyle Forest, collected by Elton M.C. Leme, nº 445 , A .M. de Carvalho, L. A . Silva,
J. Kent and R. Frasier, on the
8th January 1983 . Holotypus at Herbarium Bradeanum , HB .
Comments : This remarkable species does not fit in well
in the subgenera key, in L.B. Smith & Downs' Monograph. The corolla is connate,
the pedicels are very short and obscure, and it is very distinct from all
the other compound inflorescence
species, of any subgenera .It differs
from all other species in the size of its flowers
which are 80 mm long, and its sepals which are
50 mm long, besides in other details .
Published : in Bradea, herbarium Bradeanum´s bulletin,
volume IV, nº 1, 18th October 1983, Pg .1- 2 , Fig. 1. Pg. 5.
Complementary comments : Elton M.C. Leme in his book Canistropsis,
Bromélias da Mata Atlântica, Pgs. 96 to 99, a Salamandra Edition, proposes a
new Neoregelia subgenus, Protoregelia,
causing extensive discussion over systematic positioning of this plant,
complementary morphology details and living plant photos. Systematic position proposed:
Neoregelia L. B.
Smith.
Subgenus
Protoregelia W. Till &
Leme.