Pitcairnia brittoniana (Mez) Mez

  • 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 brittoniana (Mez) Mez

  • Type

    TYPE. Bang 592 (holotype, US; isotype, NY), Yungas, La Paz, Bolivia, 1890.

  • Synonyms

    Hepetis brittoniana (Mez) Mez, Pitcairnia werckleana Mez, Pitcairnia flaviflora Standl.

  • Description

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    Description - Plant caulescent, flowering 1-1.5 m high. Leaves over 1 m long; sheaths ovate-triangular, small and inconspicuous, densely tomentose-lepidote, sparsely serrate toward apex; petioles 15-40 cm long, coarsely spinose-serrate; blades broadly oblanceolate, acute, 95 mm wide, entire, soon glabrous. Scape erect, densely brown-tomentose-lepidote at first; scape-bracts erect, exceeding the internodes, the lower subfoliaceous, the upper small, lanceolate, attenuate. Inflorescence 2-6 dm long, dense, more or less secund-flowered; axis brown-tomentose-lepidote. Floral bracts ovate, acute, much exceeded by the sepals, thin and soon disintegrating; flowers secund-spreading after anthesis; pedicels to 8 mm long, 1.5-2 mm in diameter. Sepals lanceolate, attenuate with an involute uncinate apex, more or less asymmetric, 30-35 mm long, ecarinate, thick, coriaceous, dark red, sparsely tomentose-lepidote toward apex; petals ligulate, broadly obtuse, 4 cm long, orange, bearing 2 narrow obliquely attached scales near the base; stamens and pistil included; ovary slightly more than half superior; ovules long-caudate.

  • Distribution

    Terrestrial or epiphytic in woods or cloud forest, 950-1600 m alt, Costa Rica to Guyana and Bolivia.

    Costa Rica South America| Alajuela Costa Rica Central America| San José Costa Rica Central America| Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America| Amazonas Venezuela South America| Guyana South America| Essequibo Guyana South America| Peru South America| Puno Peru South America| Bolivia South America| La Paz Bolivia South America|