Orthophytum albopictum Philcox (1985: 357)

Louzada, Rafael Batista & Wanderley, Maria Das Graças Lapa, 2010, Revision of Orthophytum (Bromeliaceae): the species with sessile inflorescences, Phytotaxa 13, pp. 1-26 : 3-5

Orthophytum albopictum Philcox (1985: 357) . Figs. 1A–H , 7A .

Type:— BRAZIL. Bahia: near Cumbuca, about 3 km N of Mucugê on road N to Andaraí , Storr 122 (holotype CEPEC!, isotype K!) .

Plants rupicolous or terrestrial, stoloniferous, stems short, 1.1–3 × 2.5–3.5 cm. Leaves patent or slightly arching. Leaf sheaths greenish yellow, broadly triangular, 0.6–3 × 1.1–3.2 cm, glabrous on both surfaces or lepidote at the abaxial apices, margins serrate, prickles 0.2–1 mm long. Leaf blades strongly coriaceous, plane, red, purple at, linear-triangular, 8–24 × 0.8–2 cm, attenuate, abaxial surfaces densely lepidote, adaxial surfaces glabrous and lanate at the base, margins serrate, prickles antrorse, 0.4–1.2(–2) mm long, apices mucronulate. Inflorescences compound, many-flowered. Primary bracts coriaceous, red, deltoid or lanceolate, 1.7–3.8 × 1.6–1.7 cm, lepidote at the apices or similar to leaf blades, margins serrate, mucronulate. Sterile bract present. Floral bracts subcoriaceous, green, asymmetrical, ecarinate, triangular, c. 1.5 × 1 cm, lepidote, margins serrate, apices mucronulate. Sepals green, asymmetrical, carinate, narrowly triangular, 1.2– 1.4 × 0.4–0.5 cm, lepidote, margins entire, apices mucronulate. Petals white, linear-spatulate, c. 1.8 × 0.4 cm, with simple trichomes at base, apices obtuse. Petal appendages sacciform, lacerate c. 6 mm from the base. Callosities conspicous. Stamens with antepetalous filaments ca. 3 mm long and adnate to the petals, the antesepalous ones free, ca 9 mm long. Anthers yellow, ca 4 mm long, apices not apiculate. Ovaries trigonous, styles ca 1.3 mm long. Epigenous tube present, ca 2 mm long. Ovules numerous. Fruits and seeds not seen.

Distribution and habitat: — Orthophytum albopictum is known from Andaraí and Mucugê counties in Bahia. It grows rupicolous or terrestrial, frequently exposed to the sun on rocky outcrops in grassland in campos rupestres between 700–1500 m. It was collected in the Parque Nacional da Chapada Diamantina and Parque Municipal de Mucugê.

IUCN conservation status: —EN B1a. Based on collections and field observations throughout the range of this species, we noticed that it is restricted to an estimated area of less than 5000 km 2. It is only known from two counties in Bahia, occurring within and outside of protected areas.

Comments: — Orthophytum albopictum is similar to O. ulei , the newly described species in this paper(see below), but the floral bracts and sepals of O. albopictum are green (vs. red or pink), the leaf blades are lepidote only at the base (vs. completely lepidote) and with short prickles (0.4–1.2(–2) vs. 2–3.5 mm). This species is easily recognized by a lanate band in the centre of the rosette at anthesis, a result of a high density of leaf scales. While this band around the inflorescences is a good character to distinguish it from other species in the field, in dried material this character is sometimes obscure.

Additional specimens examined: — BRAZIL. Bahia: Andaraí , 4 May 2002 (fl), Loureiro 625 ( ALCB) . Mucugê , 21 October 1988 (fl), Eggli 1249 ( CEPEC) ; Estrada para Cascavel , 27 March 1980 (fl), Martinelli et al. 6689 ( RB) ; Estrada Mucugê-Andaraí , 28 April 2001 (fl), Assis et al. s.n. ( ALCB) ; Guiné , 29 June 2002 (fl), Conceição 1094 ( SP) ; 29 June 2002 (fl), Conceição 1097 ( SP) ; Parque Municipal de Mucugê , 7 January 2003 (fl), Wanderley & Conceição 2363 ( SP) ; 7 January 2003 (fl), Wanderley & Conceição 2364 ( SP) ; 17 January 2006 (fl), Wanderley & Conceição 2366 ( SP) ; 17 January 2006 (fl), Wanderley et al. 2538 ( SP) ; Rio Cumbuca , 4 February 1974 (fl), Harley 15982 ( CEPEC, RB) ; Rio Piaba , 9 November 1988 (fl), Kral & Wanderley 75623 ( SP) ; 7 January 2003 (fl), Wanderley & Conceição 2362 ( SP) ; Serra do Capa Bode , 28 October 1978 (fl), Martinelli 5525 ( RB) ; 30 October 1978 (fl), Martinelli 5519 ( RB) ; 6 October 1980 (fl), Furlan et al. CFCR 433 ( SPF) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. A–H. Orthophytum albopictum Philcox (Wanderley et al. 2538, SP). — A. Habit. — B. Primary bract. — C. Vestigial floral bract. — D. Flower. — E. Sepal and free stamen. — F. Petal with stamen adnate, petals appedages sacciform and petals callosities. — G. Detail of the trichomes below the petals appendages. — H. Style and stigma.

FIGURE 7. — A. Orthophytum albopictum. — B. Orthophytum amoenum. — C. Orthophytum burle–marxii. — D. Orthophytum hatschbachii. — E. Orthophytum heleniceae. — F. Orthophytum humile. (Photos: Abel A. Conceição [A– B] and Suzana E. Martins [E]).