Orthophytum navioides (L.B.Sm.) Smith (1955: 34)

Louzada, Rafael Batista & Wanderley, Maria Das Graças Lapa, 2010, Revision of Orthophytum (Bromeliaceae): the species with sessile inflorescences, Phytotaxa 13, pp. 1-26 : 17-18

Orthophytum navioides (L.B.Sm.) Smith (1955: 34) , figs. 9A–F, 13B.

Basionym: Cryptanthopsis navioides Smith (1940: 31) .

Type:— BRAZIL. Bahia: Jacobina , on perpendicular rocks above stream in isolated ravine, 500 m, 16 June 1939, M. Foster & R. Foster 90 (holotype GH not seen, isotype R!, SP!) .

Plants rupicolous, stoloniferous, stems short, ca 2 × 1.5 cm. Leaves patent or arching. Leaf sheaths white, triangular, ca 1 × 1.5 cm, glabrous, margins serrate, prickles ca 0.5 mm long. Leaf blades coriaceous, plane or slightly concave, green, internal one reddish, linear-triangular, 8–23 × 0.4–0.7 cm, attenuate, sparsely lepidote on both surfaces, margins serrate, prickles antrorse or retrorse, 1.1–5 mm long, apices long-attenuate. Inflorescences sessile, simple, many-flowered. Vestigial floral bract absent. Floral bracts subcoriaceous, green, symmetrical, carinate, triangular, ca 2 × 1 cm, lepidote, margins serrate, apices mucronulate. Sepals green, symmetrical, carinate, narrowly triangular, 2–3 × 0.5 cm, with glandular trichomes, margins entire, apices acuminate. Petals white, linear-spatulate, 2.5–3 × 0.4 cm, glabrous, apices subacute. Petal appendages sacciform, lacerate, ca 3 mm from the petal base. Stamens with antepetalous filaments ca 9 mm long and adnate to the petals, the antesepalous ones free, ca 20 mm long. Anthers yellow, 2.3–3 mm long, apices not apiculate. Ovaries trigonous, styles ca 20 mm long. Epigenous tubes present, ca 1.5 mm long. Ovules numerous. Fruits and seeds not seen.

Distribution and habitat: — Orthophytum navioides is only known from Jacobina county in the state of Bahia, where it grows there on shaded rocks in dry forests near streams.

IUCN conservation status: —CR B2ab (iii). Orthophytum navioides is only known from four herbarium specimens, including the type material. All collections were made at one locality with an estimated area of ca 10 km 2. A decline in the quality of the habitat was observed, which justifies the conservation status proposed here.

Comments: — Orthophytum navioides is similar to O. mucugense in habit, colour and texture of the leaves, bracts and sepals, but these species differ in the length of the leaf blades (8–23 vs. 2.5–6.7 cm in O. mucugense ) and size of the flowers (longer in O. navioides ).

Additional specimens examined: — BRAZIL. Bahia: Jacobina , 4 August 2003 (fl), Ribeiro & Ribeiro s.n. ( HB) ; Cachoeira Véu da Noiva , 27 October 1995 (fl), Jardim et al. 729 ( CEPEC) ; 24 November 2001 (fl), Loureiro et al. 477 ( CEPEC) .