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New Species: Bromelia tocantinense

 

Bromelia tocantinense

Esteves & Gouda, sp. nov.

Bromelia-tocantinense-flowering-in-progress-1

 

Bromelia-tocantinense-flowering-in-progress-2

Bromelia tocantinense Esteves & Gouda, sp. nov. (Figs. 1-11) J Brom Soc 65(1): 58-66. 2015

Bromelia tocantinense is closely related to Bromelia balansae Mez but with smaller

inflorescence, flowering slightly over 75 cm tall (vs. over 100 cm); propagating by 12-36 cm long stolons (vs. 80 cm); leaves are laxly arranged, to 130 cm long (vs. dense and ca 100 cm long); inflorescence 25-37 cm long (vs. 18-22 cm) with the axes pale-green, with a coat of white scales (vs. axes densely vestite with fine white to allutaceous tomentum); branches to 13-flowered (vs. to 10-flowered); floral bracts 1.8-2.4 cm long (vs. ca 3 cm); flower to 5.3 cm long (vs. 4.5 cm long); petals up to 2.1 x 0.6 cm, free, red with white margins (vs. 2.5 x 0.8 cm, connate for 7-8 mm, deep violet); fruit elliptic, to 4.6 cm long, 2.8 cm in diameter (vs. ovoid, 4.7 cm long, 2 cm in diameter); seeds orbicular, ca. 6.5 x 6 mm, with chestnut testa (vs. triangular-orbicular, 5 mm, with dark-gray testa).

Type – BRAZIL. Tocantins, region adjacent to Ponte Alta do Tocantins, municipality of Tocantins, 10° 39′ 20″S, 47° 46′ 08″W: Elevation 390 m, June 1998. Flowered in cultivation Nov. 2012, E. Esteves Pereira E-441: Holotype UFG, number 42829. Read more.