Neoregelia retrorsa Leme & L.Kollmann, 2011

Leme, Elton M. C. & Kollmann, Ludovic J. C., 2011, New species and a new combination of Brazilian Bromeliaceae, Phytotaxa 16 (1), pp. 1-36 : 19-21

Neoregelia retrorsa Leme & L.Kollmann , sp. nov. ( Figs. 7 , A–D, 9 , A–G)

A Neoregelia silvomontana , cui affinis, laminis foliorum inconspicue et sparse vel subdense albolepidotis, interne per anthesin apicem versus rubris, marginibus basalibus spinis retrorso-uncinatis, floribus pedicellis longioribus, petalis brevioribus altitudinem sepalorum aequantibus vel leviter superantibus et fructibus atrorubris differt.

Type:— BRAZIL. Espírito Santo: Água Doce do Norte, próximo a cidade, Morro da Torre , 18º 34.14’ S, 40º 59.17’ W, ca. 625 m, 27 April 2008, Leme 7371 (holotype RB, isotype MBML) .

Plant terrestrial or rupicolous, propagating by basal shoots. Leaves 25–28, forming a broadly crateriform rosette; sheaths broadly elliptic, 17–21 × 15.0– 16.5 cm, subdensely to densely pale-brown lepidote on both sides and mainly toward the base, greenish, nerved; blades lingulate, slightly if at all narrowed toward the base, 30–43 × 6.5–9.0 cm, inconspicuously and sparsely to subdensely white lepidote, nerved, green to yellowish and pale rose with darker green irregular spots before anthesis, at anthesis the inner ones becoming abruptly bright rose-red at the distal portion, apex acute to triangular and apiculate, apiculus 0.6–0.9 cm long, margins subdensely to sparsely spinose; spines 5–17 mm apart, dark castaneous-wine, the basal ones 4–9 × 3.5–6.0 mm, slightly to strongly retrorse-uncinate, the upper ones 2–3 × 2 mm, straight to antrorse-uncinate. Peduncle 3–5 cm long, 2.7–3.0 cm in diameter, greenish-white, glabrous; peduncle bracts broadly triangular (the basal ones) to broadly subtriangular-ovate or sub-orbicular (the upper ones), apex acute to rounded and apiculate, suberect, spinulose near the apex to entire, green except for the reddish apex, sparsely white lepidote mainly toward the apex, thin in texture, the upper ones somewhat involucral, 5–5.5 × 5.5–6.0 cm, about equaling the ovary to reaching 1/2 of the sepal length, distinctly longitudinally sulcate. Inflorescence broadly capitate, simple, umbellate, apex nearly flat, sunk in the center of the rosette, 7–8 cm long (excluding the petals), 8–10 cm in diameter, ca. 100-flowered; floral bracts narrowly ovate-lanceolate to sublinearlanceolate, apex acute to acuminate and the outer ones strongly incurved, ecarinate or bearing a protruded central nerve and appearing carinate, 45–65 × 10–20 mm, entire to remotely crenulate at the apex, green, thin in texture, distinctly nerved and longitudinally sulcate, sparsely white lepidote, ecarinate, to nearly equaling the sepal length. Flowers 70–82 mm long, fragrance not detected, pedicels 15–30 × 3.5–7.0 mm, greenishwhite, sparsely and inconspicuously pale brown lepidote to glabrous, the outer ones strongly complanate and dilated toward the base, the inner ones subterete; sepals asymmetric, narrowly lanceolate, 33–35 × 8–9 mm, suberect, the distal half not imbricate and distinctly apart from the corolla, apex long acuminate-caudate, connate at the base for ca. 2 mm, ecarinate, green, sparsely white lepidote to glabrous, thin in texture and with membranaceous margins; petals subspatulate, acute to acuminate, 35–37 × 7–8 mm, equaling to slightly exceeding the sepals, connate at the base for 12–17 mm, greenish except for the white apex, erect at anthesis, strongly spirally recoiled-incurved downwardly afterwards, bearing 2 conspicuous longitudinal callosities about equaling the filaments; filaments ca. 25 mm long, slightly complanate and dilated toward the apex, greenish-white, the antepetalous ones adnate to the petals for ca. 18 mm, the antesepalous ones adnate to the petals for the length of the petal tube; anthers linear-sagittate, 6–8 mm long, dorsifixed at 1/3 to 2/5 of its length above the base, apex acute and distinctly apiculate; pollen ellipsoidal, biporate, exine reticulate, lumina rounded, muri thickened; stigma ellipsoid-subcylindrical, conduplicate-spiral, ca. 2 mm in diameter, blades ca. 5 mm long, white, margins shortly crenulate-lacerate; ovary elliptic, ca. 15 × 8 mm, white to greenish, glabrous; placentation central-apical; ovules cylindraceous, obtuse; epigynous tube lacking. Fruits enlarged from the ovary, dark red.

Distribution and habitat:— Neoregelia retrorsa is a large-sized species with ornamental value. It was discovered in the Atlantic Forest remnants on the top of mountains at 600 to 800 m elevation, situated in the north region of Espírito Santo state (Água Doce do Norte county) and in the southern part of Bahia state (Guaratinga county). It grows predominantly in the well-illuminated parts of the forest floor or sometimes as a rupicole inside the forest, usually forming large eye-catching group of plants.

Etymology:—The epithet “ retrorsa ” refers to the retrorsely curved, uncinate basal spines of its leaf blades, which distinguishes it from other members of the N. pernambucana Leme & J.A.Siqueira complex.

Additional specimen examined (paratype):— BRAZIL. Bahia: Guaratinga, São João do Sul, Fazenda Estrela do Sul , 16º 41’ 46.2” S, 39º 58’ 59.5” W, 777 m, 21 April 2009, Leme 7769 ( RB, MBML) ; Espírito Santo: Água Doce do Norte, Pedra da Torre , 18º 34.14’ S, 40º 59.17’ W, ca. 625 m, 27 April 2008, Kollmann 10960 ( MBML) .

Observations:— Neoregelia retrorsa is a member of the N. pernambucana- complex, which is characterized by its ornate, large-sized and broad-leafed species, occurring in the Atlantic Forest of the states of Espírito Santo, Bahia and Pernambuco. Besides N. pernambucana Leme & J.A.Siqueira (2000:232) , this species complex includes N. gigas Leme & L.Kollmann (2006: 403) and N. silvomontana Leme & J.A.Siqueira (2006: 400) the taxon most similar to N. retrorsa .

When compared to N. silvomontana , N. retrorsa species differs by the leaf blades being inconspicuously and sparsely to subdensely white-lepidote (vs. conspicuously and densely white-lepidote) with the inner ones becoming bright rose-red toward the apex at anthesis (vs. inner ones not distinct from the outer ones at anthesis), basal margins bearing retrorse-uncinate spines (vs. basal spines straight to antrorse), flowers with longer pedicels (15–30 mm vs. 8–12 mm long), distinctly shorter petals (35–37 mm vs. 58–60 mm) equaling to slightly exceeding the sepals (vs. distinctly exceeding the sepals), and by the dark red fruits.

Figures

FIGURE 7. A–D. Neoregelia retrorsa. A. Habit of the paratype (Leme 7769). B. Inflorescence of the holotype (Leme 7371). C. Infructescence of the holotype (Leme 7371). D. Habit of the holotype (Leme 7371).

FIGURE 9. A–G. Neoregelia retrorsa (Leme 7371). A. Leaf blade apex. B. Basal margin of the leaf blade. C. Outer floral bract. D. Inner floral bract. E. Flower. F. Sepal. G. Petal. H–N. Orthophytum rafaelii (Leme 8152). H. Leaf. I. Sepal. J. Petal. K. Floral bract of the simple part of the inflorescence. L. Floral bract of the fascicle. M. Flower. N. Details of the petal appendages. O–S. Vriesea minutiflora (Leme 7063 et. al.). O. Leaf blade apex. P. Floral bract. Q. Flower. R. Sepal. S. Petal.