NOTES ON BRCMELIACEAE, XLI Lyman B. Siiith and Robert W. Read United States National Museijm, Washington, D. C, U. S. A. 1. PITCAIRNIOIDEAE 1. PUYA 136a. (formerly No. I6I in Fl. Neotropica key). P. HAMATA L. B. Smith, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 29: 315, fig. 35, 19^9, emend L. B. Smith & R. W. Read. A descriptione original! braeteis primariis apice ref lexis, a P. isabellina Mez bractearum sepaloriimque marginibus indimento densissimo occultis differt. ECUADOR: CARCHI: El Angel and vicinity, Paramo de El Angel, "Laguna del Boladero", ca. 365O m, 12 August 1978, Zarucchi 23 5 (ECON, US). The photo with Zarucchi 2350 for the first time clearly shows reflexed primary and scape -bracts. Photos of collections already cited in Flora Neotropica are blurred but do suggest reflexed primary bracts. Actual specimens are too fragmentary to prove much either way. It would have been much better in the Flora Neotropica key p. 76-77 to have removed the species with primary bracts having margins obscured by the indiiment before those species with reflexed primary bracts. 137-P. TRIANAE Baker. VENEZUELA: TACHIRA: Paramo El Almorzadero, 3^00 m, ih June 197^, E. Medina s. n. (VEN 97*^1). New to Venezuela. 3. FOSTERELLA 12b. F. SCHIDOSPERMA (Baker) L. B. Smith var. VESTITA L. B. Smith & R. W. Read, var. nov. A var. schidosperma inflorescentia villosula differt. INFLORESCENCE villous at least when young. PERU: PUNO: San Gabon to Ollachea 1000-2000 m, 17-2^+ July I978, Dillon . Aronson, Herra & Berry 1253 (holotype, US; isotype MO); below San Gabon on Rio San Gala on, 5OO-IOOO m, 17-24 July 1978, 1201 (MO, US). Unfortunately the key in Flora Neotropica divides the last 6 species of Fosterella (p. 200, 202) on the presence or absence of indument on the inflorescence and thus separates the 2 varieties of F. schidosperma . We propose the following substitution in the key as more useful and probably more in line with taxonomy: 1. Flowers secund or nutant, usually both. 5. Leaf -blades entire. 49
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