Orthophytum rafaelii Leme, 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 : 21-22

Orthophytum rafaelii Leme , sp.nov. ( Figs. 8 , A–B, 9 , H–N)

Ab Orthophyto hatschbachii , cui verosimiliter affinis, laminis foliorum angustioribus, supra basin versus dense lepidotis, marginibus spinis brevioribus, inflorescentia composita, bracteis floriferis internis apicem versus dense vel subdense albo lepidotis, sepalis longioribus et petalis longioribus differt; a O. heleniceae , affinis, laminis foliorum angustioribus, supra basin versus dense lepidotis, marginibus spinis longioribus inter sese 2–8 mm distantibus, bracteis floriferis internis apicem versus dense vel subdense albo lepidotis, lepidibus haud capitatis, sepalis glabris et petalis longioribus differt; a O. ophiuroides cui similis, laminis prope basin utrimque dense albolepidotis, viridulis, marginibus spinis longioribus basalibus interdum retrorse-curvatis, bracteis floriferis sepalisque viridibus et petalis longioribus recedit.

Type:— BRAZIL. Bahia: Chapada Diamantina, Palmeira, Serra das Paridas, Cachoeira do Mosquito, Oliveira s.n., fl. cult. May 2010 Leme 8152 (holotype RB) .

Plant saxiculous, stemless, propagating by ca. 20 cm long slender rhizomes. Leaves 30–50 in number, spreading-recurved at anthesis, coriaceous, forming a dense rosette; sheaths small but distinct, subtrapeziform, ca. 1.0 × 1.3 cm, glabrescent toward the base, margins densely spinulose near the apex; blades sublinear, attenuate, long caudate, 12–38 × 0.4–0.7 cm at the base, slightly canaliculate toward the apex, opaque, densely white lepidote on both sides and toward the base, subdensely to sparsely white lepidote toward the apex, abaxially nerved, green before anthesis, at anthesis orange-red near the base forming an outer ring around the inflorescence, at the base yellowish-green and forming a contrasting inner ring around the inflorescence, margins densely to subdensely spinulose, spines subtriangular-uncinate, 0.5–1.7 mm long, 2–8 mm apart, yellowish, the basal ones sometimes retrorse, the upper ones subspreading to antrorse. Inflorescence sessile, once-branched in its outer portion, simple in its inner portion, subcorymbose, densely many-flowered, 2.0– 2.5 cm in diameter; primary bracts the outer ones subfoliaceous and resembling the inner leaves, but shorter, yellowish-green toward the base and orange-red near the very base, forming at anthesis a orange-red outer ring around the inflorescence, the inner primary bracts narrowly triangular, 20–25 × 5–6 mm (at the base), exceeding the fascicles, suberect, yellowish-green, densely spinulose with prevailingly retrorseuncinate spines; fascicles inconspicuous, complanate, shortly stipitate, 18–19 × 10 mm (excluding the petals), ca. 2-flowered; floral bracts triangular, green toward the apex, hyaline near the base, without any glandular trichomes, acuminate, those in the fascicles distinctly carinate, entire, shorter than the sepals, glabrous or nearly so, ca. 15 × 6 mm, those in the central part of the inflorescence ecarinate, 20–23 × 5–13 mm, densely to subdensely white lepidote toward the apex, margins minutely and densely spinulose toward the apex, equaling to exceeding the sepals, erect or nearly so. Flowers ca. 26 mm long (including the petals), sessile, densely arranged, odorless; sepals subsymmetrical, narrowly lanceolate, acuminate, ca. 14 × 4 mm, free, entire, green, glabrous, the adaxial ones alate-carinate, the abaxial one ecarinate; petals narrowly spatulate, apex obtuse, 20– 21 × 5 mm, free, white, apical margins inconspicuously and irregularly crenulate, at anthesis erect except for the suberect to nearly spreading distal portion, bearing 2 shortly laminate-lacerate, cupulate appendages ca. 7 mm above the base, as well as 2 conspicuous longitudinal callosities nearly equaling the anthers; filaments terete, white, ca. 11 mm long, the antepetalous ones adnate to the petals for ca. 7 mm, the antesepalous ones free; anthers sagittate, ca. 3 mm long, base obtuse, apex apiculate, dorsifixed at 1/3 of its length above the base; pollen sulcate, exine microreticulate with partially incomplete reticulum; stigma simple, erect, ca. 1 mm long, blades erect, margins crenulate; ovary ca. 5 mm long, ca. 5 mm in diameter at the apex, trigonous, white, glabrous; epigynous tube inconspicuous, ca. 0.5 mm long; placentation apical; ovules obtuse. Fruits unknown.

Distribution and habitat:— Orthophytum rafaelii is an endemic species of the “Campos Rupestres” of the Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, where it lives in partially shaded places, as a saxicole in crevices of rocky cliffs.

Etymology:—This new species is named for its collector, the bromeliad grower Rafael de Oliveira, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, who has discovered many novelties in the Brazilian Bromeliaceae .

Observations:—According to the identification key provided by Louzada (2008), O. rafaelii is morphologically similar to O. hatschbachii Leme (1995a:120) , if one ignores its compound inflorescence (used as a distinguishing character in the key). However, O. rafaelii differs from O. hatschbachii by its narrower leaf blades (0.4–0.7 cm vs. 0.7–1.8 cm wide), which are densely white lepidote toward the base adaxially (vs. glabrescent to glabrous), margins with shorter spines [0.5–1.7 mm vs. (1.7–)2.0– 3.5 mm], by the compound inflorescence (vs. simple or subsimple), the inner floral bracts densely to subdensely white lepidote toward the apex (vs. glabrous), the longer sepals (ca. 14 mm vs. 0.8–12.0 mm long) and by the longer petals (20–21 mm vs. 16–17 mm long). When the compound inflorescence is considered O. rafaelii is also morphologically similar to O. heleniceae Leme (2004:67) , especially in its compound inflorescence, but it is vegetatively distinct ( Leme 2004). It can be distinguished by the narrower leaf blades (0.4–0.7 cm vs. 1.3–1.5 cm wide) which are densely white lepidote toward the base adaxially (vs. glabrescent), margins with longer spines (0.5–1.7 mm vs. ca. 0.5 mm) which are 2–8 mm apart (vs. 1.0– 1.5 mm apart), by the inner floral bracts densely to subdensely white-lepidote toward the apex (vs. glabrous) with squamiform trichomes (vs. with glandular-capitate trichomes), the glabrous sepals (vs. with glandular-capitate trichomes) and by the longer petals (20–21 mm vs. 17–18 mm long).

Because of the comparatively narrow leaf blades, which provides a delicate general appearance, O. rafaelii can also be confused with O. ophiuroides Louzada & Wanderley (2008:406) , a narrow-leafed species from Lençóis. However, this new species differs by its densely white-lepidote leaf blades toward the base on both sides (vs. sparsely white-lepidote to glabrescent on both sides), forming an outer orange-red ring in contrast with the inner yellowish-green ring around the inflorescence (vs. forming a single red ring around the inflorescence), and having margins with longer spines (0.5–1.7 mm vs. 0.3–0.4 mm long), the green floral bracts and sepals (vs. red), and by the longer petals (20–21 mm vs. 15–17 mm long).

This new species occurs near the region of Morro do Pai Inácio, Palmeiras, Bahia, where two Orthophytum species of the sessile inflorescence complex can also be found: O. amoenum (Ule) L.B.Sm. and O. burle-marxii L.B.Sm. & Read ( Conceição et al. 2007) . However, both of these taxa are different from O. rafaelii , based on the morphological deliminations presented for O. burle-marxii by Louzada (2008) and Louzada & Wanderley (2010), and for O. amoenum by Wanderley & Louzada (2009).

Figures

FIGURE 8. A–B. Orthophytum rafaelii (Leme 8152). A. Habit. B. Inflorescence. C–D. Vriesea minutiflora (Leme 7063). C. Habit. D. Floral detail.

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.