Aechmea limai 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 : 9-10

Aechmea limai Leme , sp. nov. ( Figs. 2 , C–E, 3 , N–Q)

Ab Aechmea andersoniana , cui affinis, laminis foliorum integris, internis latioribus, inflorescentiae rachide glabra, sepalis viridibus sed apicem versus albescentibus, petalis per anthesin recurvato-patentibus et ovario viridi differt.

Type:— BRAZIL. Bahia: Ituberá, Fazenda Michelin, Sapucaia , Mata do Pacangê , May 2004, Lima s.n., fl. cult. March 2010, Leme 6307 (holotype RB) .

Plants epiphytic, shortly stoloniferous. Leaves ca. 11 in number, thin in texture, suberect, forming a narrow funnelform rosette, exceeding the inflorescence; sheaths elliptic-obovate, 7–8 × 4.0– 5.5 cm, inconspicuously white lepidote on both sides, nerved, wine colored adaxially toward the base, greenish abaxially; blades linear, narrowly acute and apiculate to acuminate-caudate, 22–35 × 1.5–2.8 cm, canaliculate mainly toward the base, entire, inconspicuously white lepidote on both sides, green, distinctly nerved mainly abaxially. Peduncle erect, slender, ca. 17 cm long, ca. 0.3 cm in diameter, subdensely white sublanate when young; peduncle bracts linear-lanceolate, acuminate, 30–35 × 6 mm, membranaceous, erect, exceeding the internodes, exposing the peduncle in most part, entire, pale green, nerved, inconspicuously white sublanate. Inflorescences simple, subdense to dense, subcylindric, 4.5–5.0 cm long, ca. 2.3 cm in diameter, rachis green, glabrous, slightly subangular; floral bracts ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, acuminate-caudate, membranaceous, pale greenish, sparsely lepidote to glabrous, entire, finely nerved, 5–17 × 2.5–4.0 mm, the lower ones slightly exceeding the ovary to equaling the sepals, the upper ones about equaling the ovary. Flowers ca. 25 in number, 19–20 mm long, sessile, polystichously arranged, divergent, odorless, anthesis diurnal; sepals obovate, ca. 7 × 5.5 mm, strongly asymmetrical, the lateral wing rounded, membranaceous, exceeding the apex, bearing at the apex a slender mucro ca. 1 mm long, connate for 1.5–2.0 mm, ecarinate, glabrous, green at the base and whitish toward the apex; petals narrowly subspatulate, acute and minutely apiculate, spreading-recurved at anthesis, 15 × 3.0– 3.5 mm, free, white, without appendages, bearing 2 conspicuous longitudinal callosities about equaling the filaments. Stamens included; filaments the antepetalous ones adnate to the petals at the base for ca. 7 mm, the antesepalous ones free; anthers linear-saggitate, apex acuminate, slightly recurved, ca. 3 mm long, dorsifixed near the middle; pollen broadly ellipsoid, biporate, pores small, exine reticulate, lumina subpolygonal, muri slightly thickened; stigma conduplicate-spiral, subcylindric, green, blades shortly lacerate, ca. 3.5 mm long; ovary broadly obconic, terete, ca. 5 mm long, ca. 5 mm in diameter at the apex, green; epigynous tube inconspicuous, ca. 1 mm long; placentation apical; ovules obtuse. Fruits unknown.

Distribution and habitat:— Aechmea limai is known from the type locality only, where it was found as an understory dweller in the marshy lowland Atlantic Forest. It grows as an epiphyte in an area penetrated by many streams, which is also the specific habitat of the endemic, critically endangered bird, the Bahia Tapaculo ( Eleoscytalopus psychopompus ).

Etymology:— This species is named in honor of its its collector, Pedro Lima, a Brazilian ornithologist and conservation activist, for his valuable contributions to the biological knowledge of the Atlantic Forest of Bahia.

Observations:— Aechmea limai represents another delicate new species from the hygrophilous Atlantic Forest of the State of Bahia. It belongs to a group of A. lingulata complex species small in size and with simple or shortly branched inflorescences ( A. amorimii Leme , A. andersoniana Leme & H.Luther , A. bicolor L.B.Sm. , A. canaliculata Leme & H.Luther , A. laevigata Leme , A. viridostigma Leme & H.Luther , see Leme & Siqueira-Filho 2006.

According to the key provided by Leme & Siqueira-Filho (2006), this new species comes close to A. andersoniana , but differs from it by the entire leaf blades (vs. spinulose toward the apex), the inner leaves broader (2.5–2.8 cm vs. 1.4–1.7 cm wide), inflorescence with a glabrous rachis (vs. rachis subdensely white sublanate), green sepals with whitish apex (vs. yellow), petals spreading-recurved at anthesis (vs. suberect), and by the green ovary (vs. yellow).

Figures

FIGURE 2. A–B. Aechmea altocaririensis (Leme 8217). A. Habit. B. Floral details. C–E. Aechmea limai (Leme 6307). C. Habit. D. Inflorescence. E. Floral details.

FIGURE 3. A–H. Aechmea aiuruocensis (Leme 8113). A. Leaf blade apex. B. Basal margin of the leaf blade. C, D. Floral bracts. E. Flower. F, G. Sepals. H. Petal and stamens. I–M. Aechmea altocaririensis (Leme 8217). I. Leaf blade apex. J. Basal floral bract. K. Flower. L. Sepal. M. Petal. N–Q. Aechmea limai (Leme 6307). N. Leaf blade apex. O. Flower. P. Sepal. Q. Petal. R–Z. Aechmea recurvipetala Leme & L.Kollmann (Leme 8207). R. Leaf blade apex. S. Basal margin of the leaf blade. T. Floral bract. U. Flower without petals. V. Abaxial sepal. W. Adaxial sepal. Y. Corolla. X. Petal. Z. Longitudinal section of the ovary.