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BOTANICAL EXPLORATION IN VENEZUELA - I 149
15. Stem 6-10 cm. long; leaf-blades less than 20 cm. long,
5 mm. wide; sepals 10 ram. long.
A'.
Maguirei
var. minor.
Pitcairnia cinerea L. B. Smith, sp. nov.
E fragmentis solum cognita, verisimiliter acaulis, florifera ultra
3-4.5 dm. alta (ISteyermark); foliis homomorphis, bulbose rosulatis,
ca. 3 dm. long is, vaginis late ovatis, 15 mm. longis, crasse coriaceis,
inflatis, laminis arcuato-recurvatis, linearibus, longe acuminatis,
10 mm. latis, coriaceis, margine spinis patentibus gracilibus
ad 3 mm. longis laxe armatis, supra dissite lepidotis, mox glabris,
subtus densissime adpresseque cinereo-lepidotis; scapo erecto, 3.5
mm. diametro, cinereo-lepidoto, mox glabro; scapi bracteis in finals
foliaceis, internodia multo superantibus, supremis angustissime
triangularibus, parvis, quam internodia multo brevioribus, integris;
inflorescentia laxe bipinnatim paniculata, spars issime lepidota;
bracteis primariis supremis scapi similibus, quam ramis multo
brevioribus; ramis divaricatis, subdense florigeris, ad 6 era. longis;
bracteis florigeris late ellipticis, apiculatis, 3-4 mm. longis, tenuibus;
floribus divergentibus, sessilibus; sepalis anguste subtriangularibus,
apice asymmetrice acutis, 15-18 mm. longis, coriaceis,
basi alato-carinatis; petalis angustis, 25 mm. longis, nudis, margine
minutissime denticulatis , pallide viridibus; staminibus styloque inclusis;
ovario 2/3 supero, parte infero obconico, 6-alato; ovulis
alatis (Fig. 23, d-f).
Type collected on igneous rock outcrops, Puerto Ayacucho, Territorio
Federal Amazonas, alt. 200 m., September 11, 1944, Julian A.
Steyermark 58514. Because of its alate ovules, Pitcairnia cinerea,
along with P. armata, P. ctenophylla, P. heliophylla and P. patentiflora,
would seem to belong in section Schweideleria. It is interesting
to note that all these species agree in their very narrow spiny
leaf-blades, while all the species previously grouped in the section
have distinctly petiolate broad-bladed leaves with few or no spines.
Pitcairnia cinerea is very unusual in the genus for its 6-winged
ovary.
Pitcairnia tuberculata L. B. Smith, sp. nov.
E fragmentis fructiferis solum cognita, verisimiliter acaulis et
florifera ultra metralis; foliis rosulatis, ultra 7 dm. longis, vaginis
suborbicularibus, 3 cm. longis, integris, atro-castaneis, extus ad
apicem versus densissime brunneo-lepidotis ,
laminis sublinearibus,
acuminatis, basi paulo angustatis sed baud petiolatis, ad 2 cm.
latis, his vetustis glabris, toto margine spinis gracilibus atris ad 2
mm. longis laxe armatis; scapo erecto, 8 mm. diametro, scapi bracteis
foliaceis, internodia superantibus sed scapum nullo modo
occulta ntibus; inflorescentia ampla, laxe bi- vel tripinnatim paniculata;
bracteis primariis angustissime triangularibus, ad 3 cm. longis,
quam basibus sterilibus ramorum multo brevioribus; ramis gracilibus,