Aechmea sucreana, a Mew Species of Bromeliaceae from Espfrito Santo State, Brazil Gustavo Martinelli and Claudia Magalhaes Vieira Instituto <le Pesquisas Jardim Bolanico do Rio de Janeiro, Rua Pacheco Leao 915, Horto Florestal, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil, CEP 22460-030. [email protected]; [email protected] Ahstract. A new species of Bromeliaceae, Aech¬ Aechmea sucreana Martinelli & G. Vieira, sp. mea sucreana, found in Espfrito Santo State, Brazil, nov. TYPE: Brazil. Espfrito Santo: Einhares, is described and illustrated. It is distinguished from Imbiriba, Eazenda Sao Jorge, proximo da Re- its closest relative, A. blanchetiana, on the basis of serva Florestal de Einhares, Mata Atlantica, inflorescence features. Restinga aberta, 10 m s.m., I9°11'27"S, Key words: Aechmea, Brazil, Bromeliaceae. 39°52'83"W, 5 Aug. 1999 (fl), G. Martinelli 1555V & L. Heron, R. Azoury (holotype, RB 353539). Figure 1. Species nova Aechmeae blanchetianae affinis sed inflo- During development of the Biology and Conser¬ rescentia breviore, rachidibus intemodiis minoribus, flo- vation of Bromeliaceae of the Atlantic Rainforest ribus plus dense dispositis, ae foliis minoribus differt. Project, a scientific program of the Rio de Janeiro Plant flowering to 1.2 m high. Eeaves ca. 25, Botanic Garden Research Institute, I I scientific erect or suberect, forming a broadly funnelform ro¬ expeditions were made between 1998 and 1999. sette; sheaths elliptic, 22—30 X (9.5)14—16 cm, spi- The project encompassed the largest remaining nose-serrate toward apex, pale brown, densely lep- area of rain forest, and major fragments. A total of idote on both surfaces; blades yellowish green with 92.394 km of roads and trails were accessed in 78 reddish nuances on both surfaces, otherwise totally conservation units and 59 private areas through 14 red. ensiform to narrowly triangular, 34—53 X (4)6— Brazilian states. Seven hundred twenty-nine taxa I I cm, lepidote on both surfaces, mainly on abaxial were obtained and observed, some of them consid¬ surface, spinose-serrate, spines dark brown, 1—2 ered new taxa to this family, representing ea. 69% mm long, apex acute, ending in a rigid, pungent of the total Bromeliaceae recounted in the literature spine. Inflorescence erect; scape reddish green at for the Atlantic Rainforest bionic (Martinelli, un¬ base, red toward apex, often exceeding the leaves, published data). Information on the biology and the 41—57 X 0.5—0.7 cm, sparsely white lanate; scape bracts reddish pink, erect, strongly imbricate, en¬ status of conservation of the Bromeliaceae species folding the scape, oblong, entire, with acuminate and their respective populations were obtained and apex, 9—17 X 3—4.5 cm, ehartaceous, lepidote on stored in a database. In addition to voucher spec¬ both surfaces; fertile part of inflorescence 2- to 3- imens deposited in RB, one live collection was se¬ branched, many-flowered, with central rachis red, cured for taxa considered endemic and/or threat¬ (25)36—48 cm long, sparsely white-lanate to gla- ened with extinction and placed into cultivation. A breseenl; primary bracts reddish pink, shorter than total of 1842 specimens were collected and are be¬ the branch but greatly exceeding the basal sterile ing cultivated in a specially built greenhouse in the portion, entire with acuminate apex, 8—15 X 1.5— Rio de Janeiro Botanic Garden Research Institute. 3.5 cm, shorter toward inflorescence apex, charta- The living collections are part of an ex-situ con¬ ceous, lepidote on both surfaces; primary branches servation program, including the maintenance of a red-pink, 9 to 13, spreading-ascending, the lowest germplasm bank and the propagation and later re- (9)12—22 cm long; secondary bracts similar to pri¬ introduction, when necessary, of the species into mary bracts, 3.5—5 X 0.9—2 cm; spikelets 3- to 10- their original habitats. flowered, 4—12 cm long, with internodes 0.8— This paper presents a new species of Aechmea 1.3(1.5) cm; floral bracts red-pink, slightly shorter collected by the project during the expedition in than to little exceeding the sepals (but often ex¬ Espfrito Santo State, Brazil. ceeding floral buds), 2—3.5 times as long as I lie Novon 15: 173-175. 2005. 174 Novon (showing longitudinal callosities and petal appendages) and antepetalous stamen. —F. Stigma. —G. Leaf. internodes, not covering the raehis, ovate, convex, centae fixed in the upper half of the ovary, ovules multi-nerved, (1.8)2.4—3.8 X 1-1.1 cm, entire, with numerous, caudate; epigynous tube ca. 4 mm long; acuminate apex, sparsely lepidote on abaxial sur¬ style ca. 3.2 cm long; stigma conduplieate-spiral, face. Flowers polystichous, laxly to densely ar¬ ovoid. Fruit ellipsoid, 10—12 X 7—8 mm, red. ranged, sessile, ea. 4 cm long; floral buds green- I bis species was found growing in open thicket yellow; sepals green with apex rose and mucro red, vegetation (restinga), as terrestrial in white sand, connate at base for ca. 3 mm, ovate or narrowly forming dense groups. Although the occurrence of ovate, strongly asymmetric, 1.6—2.1 X 1 cm, mu- Aechmea blanchetiana (baker) L. 8. Smith in res¬ cronate, mucro 1—2 mm long, sparsely white-lanate tinga of Linhares was registered by herbarium col¬ to glabreseent on abaxial surface; petals pale yel¬ lections (KB), no overlap was noticed between these low. becoming pale brown after anthesis, free, lin- two species. The local vegetation where A. sucreana ear-spatulate, apex suberect at anthesis, acute, 3.2— was found is endangered due to cattle activities de¬ 3.4 X 0.6 cm, bearing two longitudinal callosities veloped in the area. parallel to staminal filaments, ca. 2.2 cm long; petal Aechmea sucreana is similar to A. blanchetiana appendages 2 per petal, basal, spatulate-undulate in overall appearance, but can be easily distin¬ with apex unevenly toothed, ca. 3 X 2—3 mm; sta¬ guished by its shorter inflorescence, spikelets with mens shorter than petals, included at anthesis, ca. shorter internodes, flowers more densely arranged, 2.8 cm long; filaments 2.4—2.5 cm long, the ante¬ and shorter leaves. petalous ones adnate to the petals for ca. 1.8 cm; The specific epithet is a tribute to the Brazilian anthers linear-oblong, dorsifixed at the middle, 8— botanist Dimitri Sucre, who made extensive plant 0X4 mm, apex acute; ovary subtrigonous, 8—10 collections throughout the Brazilian state of Espfr- X 4—5 mm, pale green, sparsely white-lanate, pla¬ ito Santo. Volume 15, Number 1 Martinelli & Vieira 175 2005 Aechmea sucreana from Brazil Paratypes. BRAZIL. Espirito Sanlo: I.inhares, Im- D & /.. Heron, R. Azoury (K), G. Martinelli 15559-E & /.. biriba. Fazenda Sao Jorge, proximo da Reserva Florestal Heron, R. Azoury (SPF) (Inst. Bot.), G. Martinelli 15559- de Linhares, Mata Atlantica, Restinga aberta, 10 m s.m., F & /,. Heron, R. Azoury (CVRD). 19° 11 '27"S, 39°52'83"W, 5 Aug. 1999 (fl), G. Martinelli 15559-A <£■ L. Heron, R. Azoury (MO), G. Martinelli 15559-B & /.. Hewn, R. Azoury (CEPEC), G. Martinelli Acknowledgments. The authors thank Patricia 15559-G /.. Heron, R. Azoury (R), G. Martinelli 15559- Villela for the illustration of the new species.