Pitcairnia xanthocalyx
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Pitcairnia xanthocalyx
 Species, Brazil. (Morren) L.B.Smith. Taxon 8-133.08, Record 1962.
Bought at BSA as flammea var roezlii
Ruby Ryde "Species from S.E.Brazil grows near seepage on rocks easterly spot. Seed 1991 as Nova. Bertie Bromel (Andrew Flower) grew. Flammea red or white.(Andrea Costa) AF91134"
Identified by Derek Butcher as xanthocalyx.
See bottom of this page for Key to flammea.
Ian Hook, Sydney 11/05.

Pitcairnia flammea Lindley, Bot. Reg. 13: pl. 1092. 1827.
Desc from S&D. Note P. suaveolens,and P. beycalema treated as synonymous by Wendt in Selbyana 15(2): 66-78. 1994 –see below – but left varieties as is.
Plant stemless, flowering 5-10 dm high, bulbous-thickened at base.
Leaves few, all alike, entire, persistent or at least the blades falling only with age and then irregularly, slightly narrowed above base but not petiolate, to 1 m long;
Sheaths ovate, dark castaneous;
Blades linear, attenuate, to 36 mm wide, bearing a pale median channel.
Scape erect, elongate; lower scape-bracts foliaceous, the upper lanceolate, acuminate, usually exceeding the internodes.
Inflorescence simple, usually long and cylindric, glabrous or furfuraceous; rhachis black or pale when dry.
Floral bracts lanceolate or narrowly triangular, the lower ones usually equaling or exceeding the pedicels;
Flowers suberect to spreading;
Pedicels slender, 8-25(-35) mm long.
Sepals narrowly triangular, 22-28 mm long;
Petals acute, 5-6 cm long, naked, red;
Stamens included;
Ovary 2/3 superior; ovules caudate.

Key to the Varieties of Pitcairnia flammea
Leaf blades spiny at base - var spinulosa
Leaf blades entire:
1. Leaf-blades covered beneath with spreading scales, mostly 20-36 mm wide.
- 2. Axis of the inflorescence glabrous, usually turning black on drying. - var flammea.
- 2. Axis of the inflorescence lepidote, usually remaining pale. - var roezlii.
1. Leaf-blades glabrous or, if lepidote, always less than 20 mm wide; inflorescence remaining pale
- 3. Axis of the inflorescence glabrous; leaf-blades glabrous.
- - 4. Inflorescence lax, few-flowered. - var corcovadensis. NOW species in own right
- - 4. Inflorescence dense, at least toward apex, many-flowered.
- - - 5. Petals red - var glabrior.
- - - 5. Petals yellowish white. - var pallida.
- 3. Axis of the inflorescence lepidote.
- - - 6. Floral bracts equaling or exceeding the lower pedicels. - var floccosa.
- - - 6. Floral bracts shorter than the lower pedicels; pedicels to 35 mm long. var macropoda.

Pitcairnia flammea var flammea
Leaf-blades mostly 20-36 mm wide, covered beneath with spreading scales.
Inflorescence with axis glabrous and usually turning black on drying.
DISTRIBUTION. Saxicolous, especially by streams, 200-1000 m alt, east central Brazil.

Pitcairnia flammea var roezlii
Leaf-blades mostly 20-36 mm wide, covered beneath with spreading scales.
Inflorescence with axis lepidote, usually remaining pale.
DISTRIBUTION. Terrestrial and saxicolous, borders of forest, 500-800 m alt, Rio de Janeiro and Guanabara, Brazil.

Pitcairnia flammea var glabrior
Leaves glabrous.
Inflorescence dense, at least toward apex, many-flowered, remaining pale; axis glabrous. Petals red.
DISTRIBUTION. Saxicolous, 600-1600 m alt, east central Brazil.

Pitcairnia flammea var pallida
Leaves glabrous.
Inflorescence dense, at least toward apex, many-flowered, remaining pale; axis glabrous. Petals yellowish white.
DISTRIBUTION. Saxicolous, especially by streams, Espirito Santo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. BRAZIL.

Pitcairnia flammea var floccosa
Leaf-blades less than 20 mm wide, lepidote.
Inflorescence remaining pale; axis lepidote.
Floral bracts equaling or exceeding the lower pedicels.
DISTRIBUTION. Saxicolous, 700-1900 m alt, eastern Brazil.

Pitcairnia flammea var floccosa
Leaf-blades less than 20 mm wide, lepidote.
Inflorescence remaining pale; axis lepidote.
Floral bracts equaling or exceeding the lower pedicels.
DISTRIBUTION. Saxicolous, 700-1900 m alt, eastern Brazil.

Pitcairnia flammea Lindl. var macropoda
Leaves 8 mm wide, bearing linear reddish scales beneath when young.
Inflorescence lax, 18 cm long, floccose.
Floral bracts linear-triangular, to 18 mm long;
pedicels ascending, slender, to 35 mm long.
Sepals linear-lanceolate, ecarinate, acute, 22 mm long.
TYPE. Magalhaes s n (holotype, HB; photo, US), locally frequent on ledges, Alto da Usina, Mun. Tombos, ca 20°54'S, 42°02'W, Minas Gerais, Brazil, 8 Apr 1950.
DISTRIBUTION. Known from the type collection only.

Pitcairnia flammea Lindley var spinulosa
Habitat: Brasil, Estado de Minas Gerais, Serra do Cipo.
"P. flammea is a very variable species, six varieties having been described already. In revising the specimens of Pitcairnia from the herbarium of the. Museu Botanico Municipal of Curitiba, Parana, I found this plant on which I did not find enough characters to establish a new species however the clearly spinose margins of the basal portion of the leaves permit to separate it at least as a new variety. With more and better specimens available perhaps other characters can be found which will permit to separate this taxon as a distinct species."

Updated 15/11/06