Bromelia saracataquerensis Leme, J.B.F. da Silva, J.A. Siqueira & E.H. Souza, 2025

Leme, Elton M. C., Souza, Everton Hilo De, Till, Walter, Barfuss, Michael H. J., Filho, José Alves Siqueira, Kollmann, Ludovic J. C., Couto, Dayvid R., Fraga, Claudio Nicoletti De, Fontana, André P., Farias-Castro, Antônio S., Fernandes, João B. & Silva, Da, 2025, Twenty Miscellaneous New Species and One New Nothogenus and Nothospecies in Brazilian Bromeliaceae, Phytotaxa 692 (1), pp. 1-60 : 15-19

Bromelia saracataquerensis Leme, J.B.F. da Silva, J.A. Siqueira & E.H. Souza , sp. nov. ( Figs. 5 A–E , 6 A–M )

Diagnosis:––This new species is closely related to Bromelia granvillei L.B. Smith & Gouda (1996: 9) , differing from it by the shorter rhizomes (ca. 5 cm vs. ca. 25 cm long), broader leaf blades (2.4–3 cm vs. 1.5–2.2 cm wide), sepals with longer free lobes (5–11 mm vs. 3–3.5 mm long), and by the longer ovary (20–25 mm vs. ca. 10 mm long).

Type: –– BRAZIL. Pará, Oriximiná, Porto Trombetas , FLONA Saracá-Taquera, Mineração Rio do Norte , 103 m elev., 01º41’43.3” S, 56º22’48.4” W, 28 April 2018, E . Leme 9392, J . B . F. da Silva , J . A . Siqueira Filho & E . Hilo de Souza (holotype RB!, isotype SEL) .

Description:–– Plant terrestrial, propagating by short rhizomes to ca. 5 cm long. Leaves 25–30 in number, suberect before anthesis, more or less spreading at anthesis, coriaceous, green, often cracked; sheath subreniform to subtrapeziform, 2–3 × 4.5–5 cm, thick, abaxially glabrous at the proximal end, densely covered with a dense coat of long sublinear ferrugineous trichomes downwardly oriented toward the distal end, adaxially glabrous at the proximal end to inconspicuously and sparsely to densely ferruginous lepidote with long filamentous trichomes upwardly oriented and coarsely corrugate toward the distal end, margins spinose at the apex with antrorse-uncinate spines; blade sublinear, 200–400 × 2.4–3 cm, distinctly narrowed toward the base but not petiolate, strongly canaliculate toward the base, abaxially sparsely to subdensely but inconspicuously white lepidote with trichomes concentrated along the intercostal areas, distinctly nerved, adaxially glabrous, attenuate toward the apex, apex long caudate, pungent, margins laxly spinose, spines castaneous near the apex, strongly retrorse-uncinate, complanate, pungent, 2–3 mm long, 1.5–2.5 cm apart. Peduncle inconspicuous, 2–3 cm long, thick; peduncle bracts foliaceous, pale rose at the base at anthesis. Inflorescence (fertile part) once branched, capitate-corymbose, sunk in the center of the rosette, congested at the base, ca. 6 cm long not including the petals, to ca. 10 cm long including the petals, 4–5 cm in diameter in the middle; primary bracts distinctly exceeding the fascicles, suberect, with an obovate base, 3.3–4 × 1.8–2.5 cm, densely castaneous lepidote mainly toward the base abaxially with peltate, irregularly dentate trichomes, glabrescent adaxially, coarsely and densely spinose toward the apex, with irregular curved, flat and soft spines, not pungent, the blades of the primary bracts narrowly and long subtriangular to long caudate, thin in texture, 1–17 × 0.3–0.8 cm, glabrous, pale rose, densely spinulose, spines antrorse, ca. 0.5 mm long; fascicles 5–6 in number, inconspicuous, complanate, flabellate, inconspicuously stipitate, 2–5 flowered; floral bracts slightly shorter to exceeding the ovary, thin in texture to membranaceous, densely nerved, abaxially densely castaneous lepidote with peltate, irregularly lacerate trichomes, adaxially glabrescent, margins densely spinulose toward the apex, spines thin in texture, irregularly curved, those of the fascicles sublinear to narrowly subspathulate, 20–40 × 3–9 mm, carinate mainly toward the apex, apex acute and apiculate, those of the inner simple part of the inflorescence suboblong, 35–45 × 14–19 mm, ecarinate, rounded and apiculate. Flowers ca. 25 in number, diurnal, sweetly fragrant, 80–88 mm long (including the petals), erect, inconspicuously pedicellate, pedicel merging with the ovary; sepals symmetrical, linear, apex obtuse-cucullate to emarginate, 25–27 × 3.5–5 mm, unequally connate at the base for 14–22 mm, carinate toward the apex to ecarinate, navicular, densely brown lanate mainly toward the base and the apex, with subpeltate, irregularly lacerate, long filamentous trichomes, inconspicuously spinulose at the apex with irregularly curved, minute spines, distinctly nerved; petals narrowly spathulate, apex obtuse to rounded, erect at anthesis except for the recurved apical portion, white, abaxially sparsely to subdensely pale brown lepidote toward the apex, 55–66 × 7–8 mm, connate at the base for 22–27 mm in a common tube with the filaments; filaments terete, white, the antesepalous ones equally adnate to the petals for 22–27 mm and free above it, the antepetalous ones adnate to the petals for 29–33 mm; anthers sublinear, 9– 11 mm long, base, bilobed, apex apiculate, dorsifixed near the base; stigma conduplicate-spiral, white, blades ca. 5 mm long, margins distinctly lacerate-scalloped, papillose; ovary narrowly subclavate to narrowly obovate, subangulose, 20–25 × 6–7 mm, whitish, densely brown lanate with subpeltate, irregularly lacerate, long filamentous trichomes; epigynous tube distinct but narrow, 3–3.5 mm long; placentation from central to apical; ovules globose, obtuse, sparsely arranged. Fruits ovoid to narrowly ellipsoid, whitish near the base and green toward the distal end, 3–3.7 × 1.8–2.5 cm, not including the persistent sepals and pedicel, with a distinct fruit-like fragrance, sparsely and irregularly brown lanate. Seeds ca. 10 in number, orbicular or nearly so, 5.5–6 × 5–5.5 mm, complanate, dark brown.

Distribution and habitat:––This new species is a typical terrestrial in Terra Firme forests, in the counties of Oriximiná (fig. 5 A) and Terra Santa, in the Amazonian state of Pará, northern region of Brazil. In the shaded and humid areas where it grows (fig. 5 E), their narrow leaves may reach 4 m length and are propped up by the surrounding bushes (fig. 5 B–C). It was observed living sympatrically with other terrestrial bromeliads like Disteganthus lateralis (L.B. Smith 1954: 525) Gouda (1994: 134) and Bromelia morreniana ( Regel 1888: 157) Mez (1891: 186) , to name a few.

Etymology:––The name of Bromelia saracataquerensis is a reference to the place where it was originally found, in the Floresta Nacional (FLONA) Saracá-Taquera in Porto Trombetas, Oriximiná, in the Amazonian state of Pará.

Additional specimen examined (paratypes): –– BRAZIL. Pará: Terra Santa, Plateau Aramã, terrestre em Mata de Terra Firme , April 2018, J. B . Fernandes da Silva s.n., cult. E . Leme 9374 ( RB!); Santarém , BR 163 , KM 67 , June 2019, L. O. A . Teixeira s.n., cult. E . Leme 9697 ( RB!) .

Distinctive characters:— Bromelia saracataquerensis (fig. 5 B–E, 6 A–M) belongs to the complex of Amazonian species formed by B. granvillei from French Guiana, B. gurkeniana , from the Gurupi river, in the state of Pará, near the border to the state of Maranhão, B. morreniana (fig. 6 N–O), and B. tubulosa L.B. Smith (1964: 40) (fig. 6 P–Q), both from the states of Amazonas and Pará, Brazil, except for the last one, which was originally described from Venezuela, not far from the border with Brazil. These species are characterized by the small and compact, capitate-corymbose inflorescence sunk in the center of the rosette due to the inconspicuous peduncle, sepals highly connate and with very short free lobes, and the white or whitish petals, which are inconspicuously castaneous lepidote abaxially and toward the apex, forming a prevailingly tubular corolla.

Despite Bromelia morreniana having been registered in the same area where this new species was collected, and although B. granvillei ‒ known from the northeast of French Guiana only ‒ being described in the fruit stage, without data on petals and stamens, it is possible to recognize that B. granvillei has a closer morphological affinity with B. saracataquerensis , both being characterized by very long, narrow, and often cracked leaf blades. However, this new species differs from B. granvillei by the propagation by means of much shorter rhizomes (ca. 5 cm vs. ca. 25 cm long), broader leaf blades (2.4–3 cm vs. 1.5–2.2 cm wide), with shorter spines along the margins (2–3 mm vs. 3–7 mm long), sepals with longer free lobes (5–11 mm vs. 3–3.5 mm long), longer ovary (20–25 mm vs. ca. 10 mm long), and by the larger fruit (3–3.7 × 1.8–2.5 cm vs. ca. 2.5 × 1 cm).

While Bromelia saracataquerensis is known as an inhabitant of the inland Terra Firme forest, ca. 100 m elevation, about 700 km from the Atlantic coast, B. granvillei is reported from 100 to 200 m elevated areas, about 30 to 50 km from the Atlantic coast, living in open forest on rocky soils with a thin layer of humus ( Smith & Gouda 1996).

In relation to Bromelia gurkeniana , this new species differs by the much longer leaf blades (200–400 cm vs. ca. 70 cm long), flowers longer (80–88 mm vs. ca. 55 mm long), longer sepals (25–27 mm vs. ca. 15 mm long), which are higher connate at the base for 14–22 mm (vs. ca. 9 mm), longer petals (55–66 mm vs. ca. 35 mm long), and by the longer anthers (9–11 mm vs. ca. 5 mm long).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Bromelia saracataquerensis (Leme et al. 9392): A. General view of the habitat from the main road that crosses the National Forest Saracá-Taquera, in Porto Trombetas, Oriximiná, Pará state. B. João Batista Fernandes da Silva (left) and Everton Hilo de Souza (right) indicating the size of the type specimen. C. The size of the collected specimen in comparison with the car used in the field expedition. D. Habit of the flowering specimen. E. Group of plants at the type locality.

FIGURE 6. A–M. Bromelia saracataquerensis: A–D. Detail of the inflorescences. E. Primary bract and primary fascicle. F. Petals and stamens. G. Anthers. H. Stigma. I. Fruits. J. Longitudinal section of the fruit. K. Seeds. L. Sepals. M. Longitudinal section of the ovary. N–O. Bromelia morreniana (Leme et al. 9391). N. Flowering specimen. O. Sepals. P–Q. Bromelia tubulosa (Leme 9720). P. Central portion of a flowering specimen. Q. Sepals.A–B, E–M. Leme et al. 9392. C. Leme 9697. D. Leme 9374. Bars = 20 mm (E–F). Bars = 10 mm (I–J). Bars = 5 mm (L–M, N, Q). Bars = 2 mm (G–H, K).