Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2003, 143, 189–196. With 9 figures © 2003 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2003, 143, 189–196 189 Blackwell Science, LtdOxford, UKBOJBotanical Journal of the Linnean Society0024-4074The Linnean Society of London, 2003? 2003 1432 189196 Original Article AECHMEA MULTIFLORA COMPLEX M. B. FERREIRA CANELA ET AL . *Corresponding author. E-mail: twendt@biologia.ufrj.br Revision of the Aechmea multiflora complex (Bromeliaceae) MARIA BERNADETE FERREIRA CANELA, NATÁLIA PRADO LOPEZ PAZ and TÂNIA WENDT* Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, CCS, IB, Ilha do Fundão, 21941– 590, Rio de Janeiro-RJ, Brazil Received January 2002; accepted for publication May 2003 A taxonomic revision of the Aechmea multiflora complex (Bromeliaceae) is presented. The complex currently com- prises four species belonging to the subgenus Chevaliera. In this study, we document morphological variation in her- barium and living plants in order to improve the delimitation of species in the genus Aechmea. Three species were recognized: A. multiflora, A. depressa, and A. saxicola. We propose A. hostilis to be a synonym of A. saxicola. These species are restricted to the eastern coast of Brazil, and are known from only a few herbarium collections. The con- servation status of these species is ‘vulnerable’ according to IUCN criteria. We present a key, descriptions, typifica- tion, drawings, photographs and a map of distribution. © 2003 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2003, 143, 189-196. ADDITIONAL KEYWORDS: Brazil - Bromelioideae - Chevaliera - conservation - morphology - taxonomy. INTRODUCTION Systematics in the Bromeliaceae is controversial and problematic. This is particularly true for the subfamily Bromelioideae in which the genus Aech- mea Ruiz & Pav. is placed. The most recent mono- graphic treatment of the Bromelioideae is that of Smith & Downs (1979), in which they recognized 172 species of Aechmea, dividing them into eight artificial subgenera. Since 1979, numerous new spe- cies and generic-level taxonomic changes have been proposed in the Bromelioideae, many involving the genus Aechmea (Read, 1984; Smith & Spencer, 1992; Luther & Sieff, 1994, 1997; Read & Baensch, 1994; Luther, 2001). The most controversial was the eleva- tion of all Aechmea subgenera to generic rank (Smith & Kress, 1989, 1990), an action that has not been widely adopted (e.g. Luther & Sieff, 1994). These problems are almost always magnified by an incomplete knowledge of critical diagnostic mor- phological features for many taxa. The taxonomic problems within Aechmea require detailed scrutiny before the proposal of new treatments (Wendt, 1997). This paper attempts to provide a sound delimita- tion of the closely related species which constitute the A. multiflora complex: A. multiflora L. B. Sm., A. depressa L. B. Sm., A. saxicola L. B. Sm., and A. hostilis E. Pereira. These species belong to the sub- genus Chevaliera (Gaudich. ex Beer) Baker (sensu Smith & Downs, 1979) which comprises c. 21 robust tank bromeliad species, bearing hard serrate leaves over 1 m long, with large strobiliform inflorescences commonly armed with pungent bracts. They fre- quently grow as epiphytes. Due to difficulties in accessing, collecting, drying, and handling material from these species, the number of available herbar- ium specimens is small. Smith & Downs (1979) cite the type plus five specimens for A. multiflora and basically the type collections for the other three taxa. Smith (1937, 1941, 1950) described three species rec- ognized in this complex but made no comparison or comments about the affinities between them. Smith (1937) described A. multiflora, and suggested affini- ties between the Amazonian A. fernandae (E. Morren) Baker and Amazonian A. rubiginosa Mez, both of the subgenus Chevaliera. Later, Smith (1941) described Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/botlinnean/article/143/2/189/2433557 by guest on 16 February 2023