A new species of Alcantarea (E. Morren ex Mez) Harms, Bromeliaceae

Abstract

Alcantarea patriae Versieux & Wand. (Bromeliaceae, Tillandsioideae), a new species from southeastern Brazil, is described and illustrated. It grows on inselbergs within the Atlantic Forest vegetation at Jerônimo Monteiro County, Espírito Santo State. The new taxon shows some morphological similarities with A. odorata (Leme) J.R. Grant, having ligulate long attenuate leaves and sweet scent yellow flowers. However, A. patriae has a very characteristic inflorescence, with the primary bracts shorter than the lateral peduncles, suberect to erect flowering branches (vs. patent to pendulous in A. odorata), with more spaced flowers (20-30 vs. 8-15 mm) and also a wider rosette, up to 1.6 m diam.

Keywords

• Atlantic Forest
• Espírito Santo
• inselberg
• Tillandsioideae