Encephalosphaera vitellina Lindau

Aphelandra flammea Wasshausen

Aphelandra flammea Wasshausen, Phytologia 26:394. 1973.

Herbaceous to suffrutescent perennial; stems erect, to 5 m high, glabrous to sparingly pilose, the internodes 2–9 cm long; leaf blades elliptic to obovate, 15–24 cm long and 6.2–12.3 cm wide, acuminate, cuneate or gradually narrowed at base and more or less decurrent on the petiole, chartaceous, minutely and inconspicuously puberulous on both surfaces, the margins entire, the costa broad, lateral veins (10–12 pairs) inconspicuous, arcuate, the upper surface nitid often a brilliant polished green, the lower surface pale green, the reticulation obscure; petioles 2–13 cm long, glabrous; flowers borne in simple terminal spikes 11–18 cm long and 1.5–2 cm broad (excluding the corollas), the rachis puberulous, the nodes flattened and slightly excavate; bracts imbricate, elliptic, 17–20 mm long and 7–10 mm wide, acuminate, veiny, glabrous, the margins serrate, the teeth to 1 mm long; bractlets narrowly lanceolate, 4 mm long, minutely and inconspicuously puberulous; calyx 11–12 mm long, the posterior segment lance-subulate, 3 mm wide, the lateral and anterior pairs linear-lanceolate, 1.5 mm wide, the 5 segments and bractlets striate-nerved and puberulous, the nerves ending at the base of each segment in a callus about 1 mm long; corollas 4.5–5.5 cm long, orange-red, sparingly puberulous, the upper lip oblong-elliptic, 17 mm long and 5 mm wide, acute to obtusish and entire, the lower lip spreading, the lobes oblong-elliptic, the middle one 1.5 cm long and 1.8 cm wide, acuminate, the lateral ones similar but narrower, 3 mm wide; pollen grains atypical, prolate spheroidal, about 56fx in diameter; mature capsule not seen.

TYPE.—Y. Mexia 6700 (holotype US, isotype UC), Ecuador, Cotopaxi, Hacienda Solento, near Santa Rosa, Canton Pajile, 1000 m alt, 17–20 Nov 1934.

DISTRIBUTION.—Known only from the typelocality.

Aphelandra flammea is perhaps nearest in relationship to A. sulphurea, but differs markedly in that its petioles are short, 1.2–2 cm long, the bracts 30–32 mm long, acute, denticulate and covered with small inconspicuous subsessile glands, the corolla yellow, the upper corolla lip about 10 mm wide, the middle lobe of the lower corolla lip 2 cm long and 1 cm wide, apically obtuse, and the lateral lobes 6 mm wide.