A NEW SPECIES OF PUYA (BROMELIACEAE) FROM THE VENEZUELAN ANDES

Resumen

A new species of Puya  Molina (Bromeliaceae) from the Venezuelan Andes, P. guaramacalana  Stergios, Caracas, Dorr & S.M. Niño, is described and illustrated. Mor phologically this new species belongs in Puya  subgenus Puyopsis  (Baker) L.B.Sm. where it most closely resembles two other species with simple peduncles and nutant inflorescences, P. nutans  L.B.Sm. from Ecuador and P. venezuelana L.B.Sm. from northern Colombia and Venezuela. Characters to distinguish these three Andean species are discussed.