NO. I BROMELIACEAE OF BRAZIL — SMITH IO7 



5. Floral bracts not more than half as wide as long, not over 35 mm. 

 long, their margins overlapping little if at all. (Fig. 47.) 



84. V. scalaris 



SUBKEY G 



I. Inflorescence dense ; floral bracts more than twice as long as the internodes. 

 2. Floral bracts strongly compressed, sharply carinate, bright red with green 

 margins, thin, 34 mm. long, about equaling the carinate sepals. 



85. V. interrogatoria 



2. Floral bracts not compressed, obtusely if at all carinate, green or casta- 



neous, usually coriaceous. 



3. Scape-bracts shorter than the internodes; floral bracts 35 mm. long, 



exceeded by the sepals, castaneous, sublustrous.. . 86. V. clausseniana 



3. Scape-bracts exceeding the internodes. 



4. Floral bracts castaneous and coriaceous except for the rugulose pale 



thin apical third, 3-8 cm. long, usually much exceeding the sepals. 



39. V. longicaulis 



4. Floral bracts green or stramineous, mostly uniform. 



5. The floral bracts obtusely carinate; leaves broadly acute or rounded 



and apiculate. 



6. Sepals 20-27 mm. long; floral bracts 2.5 to 3.5 times as long as 



the internodes; plants 6-12 dm. high 41. V. longiscapa 



6. Sepals 34 mm. long; floral bracts barely twice as long as the 



internodes ; plant usually 2 m. high or more. 



37. V. hoehneana 

 5. The floral bracts ecarinate, evenly convex. 



7. Leaves acuminate ; floral bracts becoming secund with the flowers ; 



sepals 15-20 mm. long 87. V. viridiflora 



7. Leaves broadly rounded and apiculate ; floral bracts never secund ; 



sepals to 24 mm. long 88. V. unilateralis 



I. Inflorescence lax; floral bracts distinctly less than twice as long as the 

 internodes. 

 8. Scape-bracts (or at least the upper ones) shorter than the internodes; 

 sepals 25-28 mm. long, much exserted, elliptic, obtuse. 

 9. Leaf -blades narrowly triangular, acuminate; floral bracts obtuse, ecari- 

 nate 89. V. brassicoides 



9. Leaf-blades ligulate, broadly rounded and apiculate; floral bracts acute, 



carinate 90. V. platzmannii 



8. Scape-bracts all imbricate. 



ID. Leaf-blades narrowly triangular, long-acuminate, not over 30 mm. wide ; 

 floral bracts lepidote, 24 mm. long, much exceeded by the sepals. 



91. V. oligantha 

 ID. Leaf-blades ligulate, acute or rounded and apiculate or sometimes short- 

 acuminate, 15-80 mm. wide. 

 II. Plants less than i m. high; scape slender; floral bracts ecarinate. 

 12. Floral bracts to 35 mm. long, nearly twice as long as the internodes ; 

 leaf-blades concolorous ; sepals 24 mm. long. 



88. V. unilateralis 

 12. Floral bracts 18 mm. long, barely exceeding the internodes; leaf- 

 blades dark-spotted; sepals 18 mm. long 92. V. racinae 



