Vriesea socialis Smith (1946: 121)

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 : 90-91

3.8 Vriesea socialis Smith (1946: 121) .

Type: — COLOMBIA. Vaupés: Cano Pacu, affluent of Rio Vaupés near Tayasu and Circasia , 6 Mar 1944, Schultes 5826-A (holotype GH!)

Description:—Plant terrestrial, flowering ca. 2 m high. Leaves ca. 20 in number, forming an infundibuliform rosette; sheath oblong-elliptic, 18−27 × 10−12 cm, purplish-brown, densely brown lepidote on both surfaces; blade linearoblong, triangular attenuate toward the apex, 50–86 × 5.5–9.5 cm, apex acute, green, scaly lepidote on both surfaces, denser in the adaxial surface and toward the base. Inflorescence simple, laxly (6–)12–21 flowered, (70–) 170–190 cm long, erect; peduncle erect, (45–) 140–155 cm long, 6–8 mm in diameter, sparsely lepidote; peduncle bracts erect to suberect, remote or slightly imbricate toward the base, with the peduncle partly visible (bract covering 1/3–1/2 of the internode), oblong to narrowly elliptic, obtuse to apiculate, 30–60 × 15–24 mm, lepidote on both surfaces, denser on the adaxial surface and lower bracts; rachis straight or flexuous, (11–) 30–45 cm, ca. 4.5 mm in diameter. Floral bracts secund with the flowers, oblong-elliptic, obtuse, 20–26 × 14–18 mm, sometimes slightly carinate at the apex, much exceeded by the sepals, lepidote on both surfaces, denser on the adaxial surface. Flowers with amber mucilage, ca. 35 mm long, 17–28 mm apart, distichous, strongly downward secund; sepals narrowly oblong, ca. 40 × 10 mm, free, ecarinate, symmetric, sparsely lepidote; petals ca. 27 mm long; petal appendages ca. 5.3 × 2.5 mm, adnate to the petal base for 3.5 mm, with free obtuse lobe; ovary conical, ca. 3.2 × 2.6 mm. Fruits broad-fusiform, secund, ca. 25 mm long; seeds including coma 10–13 mm, apical coma ca. 0.4 mm and basal coma ca. 7 mm.

Distribution: —This species grows terrestrially in the department of Vaupés, Colombia and in the state of Amazonas, Venezuela, at 80–900 m above sea level.

Taxonomic and nomenclatural notes: —Despite some similarities with Werauhia , such as the secund flowers and the short apical coma of the seeds, the remaining characteristics observed lead us to maintain this taxon in Vriesea . This taxon was described from an incomplete specimen (inflorescence about 50 cm long); however, we found other specimens that reached 2 m or more in length, as also mentioned by Smith & Downs (1977). Smith (1946) cited the morphological affinity with V. brassicoides (Baker) Mez (1895: 598) (= Stigmatodon brassicoides (Baker) Barfuss et al. [2016: 57] ) and V. platzmanii Morren (1875: 349) , in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, differing mainly in the thickness of the floral bracts and sepals (thinner in V. socialis ).

Etymology: —The specific epithet “ socialis ” probably refers to the co-occurrence with Vriesea chrysostachys Morren (1881:87) , as cited by Smith (1946).

Representative Specimens Examined: — VENEZUELA. Amazonas: 1 km east of Maroa, Rio Guainía, 130 m, 3 July 1959, Wurdack & Adderley 43308 (US); Atabapo, Cucurital de Caname, southern bank of the middle part of Caño Caname, 67 o 22’W, 3 o 40’N, 100 m elev., 30 April 1979, Davidse et al. 16964 (US). COLOMBIA. Vaupés: Rio Piraparana, tributary of Rio Apaporia, 0°15 S to 0°25’ N, 70° 30° W, 15 September 1952, Schultes & Cabrera 17478 (US, GH, COL); San Felipe (El Castillo), by Rio Guainía and Rio Casiquiare, Alt. 900 m., November 1952. Humbert 27436 (P); Puerto Colombia, Río Guainía (opposite Venezuelan town of Maroa) and vicinity, 800–850 ft. elev., 2° 40’ N, 67°30’ W, 31 October–2 November 1952, Schultes, Baker & Cabrera 18163 (US); Prov. Guainía, Inírida, Resguardo indígena Almidón-Ceiba. A 4 km NE de la comunidad La Ceiba, camino a Cñ. Vitina, Alt. 80 m., 3.65736111, -67.879388, 20 October 1998, Gordillo 346 (COL).