Pitcairnia megasepala Baker

  • Authority

    Smith, Lyman B. & Downs, Robert J. 1974. Pitcairnioideae (Bromeliaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 14 (1): 1-658. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Bromeliaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Pitcairnia megasepala Baker

  • Type

    TYPE. Holton 153 (holotype, K; photo, GH; isotype, PH), La Paila, Valle, Colombia, 21 Mar 1853.

  • Synonyms

    Pitcairnia araneosa Baker, Pitcairnia goudotiana André, Pitcairnia camptocalyx André, Pitcairnia camptocalyx André, Pitcairnia camptocalyx var. robusta André, Pitcairnia theae Mez, Hepetis camptocalyx (André) Mez, Hepetis camptocalyx var. lutea (André) Mez, Hepetis camptocalyx var. robusta (André) Mez, Hepetis megasepala (Baker) Mez, Hepetis theae Mez

  • Description

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    Description - Plant stemless, slender to stout, flowering 6-15 dm high. Leaves dimorphic, the outer with broadly ovate dark castaneous sheaths and persistent reduced spiniform laxly spinose-serrate blades, the inner leaves with progressively longer paler sheaths, their blades elongate, linear, attenuate, narrowed at the base but not petiolate, to 15 dm long, 15-25 mm wide, pale furfuraceous beneath when young, deciduous along a straight transverse line, entire above the line and finely spinose-serrate below. Scape erect, slender, soon glabrous; scape-bracts erect, lanceolate, acuminate, the upper ones from slightly shorter to slightly longer than the internodes. Inflorescence simple or few-branched at base, 20-33 cm long, lax, white-furfuraceous, becoming glabrous. Floral bracts narrowly lanceolate, acuminate, the lowest much exceeding the pedicels; pedicels divergent, slender, 10-20 mm long; flowers suberect to spreading. Sep; Is very narrowly triangular, long-acuminate, 30-40 mm long, alate-carinate; petals linear, acute or acuminate, to 6 cm long, red, yellow, or white, bearing a crenate or emarginate scale at the base; ovary 2/3 to 4/5 superior; ovules caudate.

  • Distribution

    Terrestrial, saxicolous, and epiphytic, banks, cliffs, thickets, and forest, 300-1550 m alt, Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia.

    Panama Central America| Darién Panamá Central America| Colombia South America| Norte de Santander Colombia South America| Santander Colombia South America| Antioquia Colombia South America| Tolima Colombia South America| Valle Colombia South America| Huila Colombia South America| Cauca Colombia South America|