Vriesea sulcata Smith (1957: 315)

Kessous, Igor M. & Costa, Andrea F., 2023, Novelties in “ incertae sedis ” Vriesea (Bromeliaceae: Tillandsioideae): Redescriptions, new combinations and nomenclatural revision, Phytotaxa 585 (2), pp. 71-101 : 91

3.9 Vriesea sulcata Smith (1957: 315) .

Type: — VENEZUELA. Amazonas: Cano Yutaje, Cerro Yutaje. Rio Manapiare , 21 February 1953, Maguire 35374 (holotype NY!, US![fragment])

Description:—Plant epilithic, flowering ca. 85 cm high. Leaves 7−10 in number, forming an infundibuliform rosette; sheath narrowly oblong-elliptic, 14−15 × 4.5−5.5 cm, densely lepidote on both surfaces, denser on the adaxial surface; blade linear-oblong, triangular toward the apex, 40–60 × 3.5–4 cm, apex acuminate, pale green, lepidote on both surfaces. Inflorescence simple, 18–20 flowered, ca. 70 cm long, dense before anthesis, lax or subdense at anthesis, erect; peduncle erect, 40–45 cm long and 3–4.5 mm in diameter, glabrous to sparsely lepidote; peduncle bracts erect, imbricate (or distally slightly so), oblong, obtuse or acuminate, 50–55 × 18–20 mm long, lepidote on the adaxial surface, glabrous on the abaxial surface; rachis slightly geniculate, ca. 20 cm long, 4–4.5 mm in diameter. Floral bracts ovate-oblong, apex acute, 35–40 × 20–25 mm, ecarinate, slightly incurved, exceeding the sepals, containing mucilage, sparsely lepidote on both surfaces, slightly denser on the adaxial surface, sulcate in sicco. Flowers ca. 34 mm long, 12–13 mm apart, distichous, suberect; sepals narrowly ovate, rounded, ca. 29 × 12 mm, free, ecarinate, symmetric, lepidote on the adaxial surface, glabrous on the abaxial surface; petals linear-oblong, 33–40 × 5–6 mm, white; petal appendages, ca. 6.5 × 2 mm, adnate to the petal base for ca. 3.8 mm, entire, linear-oblong, with free lobe rounded, anther ca. 6.5 × 1.1 mm; ovary ovoid, ca. 6 × 3.2 mm; style ca. 18 mm long. Fruits unknown.

Distribution: —This species occurs in the region of the state of Amazonas, Venezuela, at 500–1500 m above sea level ( Smith & Downs 1977).

Taxonomic and nomenclatural notes: —The protologue does not provide the diagnostic characters for a current generic delimitation, such as the type of the stigma, androecium, and seeds, and we were unable to obtain this information from the material examined. Despite the presence of certain characteristics of Werauhia , such as white petals and sulcate bracts, for the present we maintain this taxon in Vriesea s.str., because it fits within the range of morphological variation accepted for this genus.

Etymology: —The specific epithet “ sulcata ” refers to the sulcate floral bracts in sicco.

Representative Specimens Examined: — VENEZUELA. Amazonas : Terr., 15 July 1959, Wurdack & Adderley 43454 (US); Cerro Yacapana, alredores del campamento a lo largo del rio en las faldas en la parte suroeste, 3°45’N, 66° 45’W, ca. 825 m elev., 4 May 1970, Steyermark & Bunting 103096 (US) .