Cryptanthus species grow as evergreen, perennial herbaceous plants . They mostly grow terrestrially. Most Cryptanthus species are relatively small (rosette diameter 15 to 30 centimeters, rarely more). The coarse, parallel- veined leaves sit on a compressed main axis in a basal rosette. The leaves are lightly reinforced by a serrated leaf margin. The most decorative thing about the Cryptanthus species are their sometimes wavy, often beautifully drawn (patterned) leaves. The leaves have suction scales at least on the underside of the leaf.
The inflorescences have strongly compressed stem axes and so all the flowers sit in a "head" together in the middle of the leaf rosette (very inconspicuous, "hidden", hence the name). The relatively small, hermaphrodite flowers are radial symmetry and threefold. There are three sepals. The three mostly white, sometimes greenish, spreading petals end bluntly. There are two circles with three stamens each. The stamens are partially fused with the petals. Three carpels have become an under constant ovary grown. The stylus ends in a three-lobed scar.
The valid first publication of the genus Cryptanthus took place in 1836 by Christoph Friedrich Otto and Albert Gottfried Dietrich in About a new genus in the family Bromeliaceae in Allgemeine Gartenzeitung , 4th year, no. 38, pp. 297-299. Type species is Cryptanthus bromelioides Otto & A.Dietr. The name Cryptanthus Otto & A.Dietr. nom. cons. became opposite the older homonym Cryptanthus Osbeck nom. rej. preserved (Melbourne ICN Art. 14.10 & App. III, ICN Art. 53). Synonyms for Cryptanthus Otto & A.Dietr. are: Pholidophyllum Visiani , Madvigia Liebmann , Eucryptanthus Mez (today a subgenus Cryptanthus subgen. Eucryptanthus Mez ), Hoplocryptanthus Mez (today a subgenus Cryptanthus subgen. Hoplocryptanthus Mez ). The generic name Cryptanthus is derived from ancient Greek κρυπτός kryptós , German 'hidden, hidden' and ἄνθος ánthos , German 'blossom, flower' . The generic name means directly translated "Hidden flowers".
The areas of the Cryptanthus species are almost exclusively in the dry forests in eastern Brazil . They are predominantly terrestrial species that live on the forest floor.
There are about 78 Cryptanthus species (as of 2014):
Cryptanthus aracruzensis Leme & L. Kollmann : It was first described in 2013 from the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo. It thrives on rocks in shady locations inside the semi-evergreen Mata Atlântica at altitudes of about 400 meters.
Cryptanthus bahianus L.B.Sm. : It thrives terrestrially in the Caatinga at altitudes of about 500 meters only in the Brazilian states of Paraíba and Bahia.
Cryptanthus bibarrensis Leme : It was first described in 2002 from the Brazilian state of Bahia. It thrives terrestrially at altitudes of around 300 meters.
Cryptanthus bivittatus (Hook.) Rule var. Bivittatus (Syn .: Cryptanthus bivittatus var. Moensis hort., Cryptanthus moensii hort. Ex Gentil )
Cryptanthus bivittatus var. Atropurpureus (Syn .: Cryptanthus atropurpureus hort. Edinburg ex Mez )
Cryptanthus brevifolius Leme : It wasfirst describedin 2010 from the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo . It thrives terrestrially at altitudes of around 200 meters.
Cryptanthus bromelioides Otto & A.Dietr. (Syn .: Cryptanthus diversifolius Beer , Cryptanthus suaveolens E. Morren ex Baker ): It thrives in lowland forests in shady locations at altitudes of 0 to 100 meters only in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro .
Cryptanthus capitatus Leme : It was first described in 1994 from the Brazilian state of Espírito. It thrives terrestrially in shady locations at altitudes of around 200 meters.
Cryptanthus capitellatus Leme & L. Kollmann : It was first described in 2010 from the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo. It thrives terrestrially in shady locations in the semi-evergreen Mata Atlântica at altitudes of around 200 meters.
Cryptanthus caracensis Leme & E. Gross : It was first described in 1992 from the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. It thrives terrestrially under xerophytic conditions between rock outcrops in the so-called "rupestral fields" typical open herbaceous or shrubby vegetation at altitudes above 1000 meters.
Cryptanthus caulescens I. Ramírez : It thrives in wooded areas at altitudes of around 800 meters in the Brazilian states of Bahia to Espírito Santo.
Cryptanthus colnagoi Rauh & Leme : It thrives terrestrially at altitudes of around 1000 meters only in the Brazilian state of Bahia.
Cryptanthus coriaceus Leme : It thrives terrestrially at altitudes of around 200 meters only in the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo.
Cryptanthus correia-araujoi Leme : It was first described in 1995 from the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo.
Cryptanthus crassifolius Leme : It was first described in 2002 from the Brazilian state of Bahia. It thrives terrestrially in the middle of rock outcrops in more or less open, sun-exposed locations.
Cryptanthus delicatus Leme : It was first described from the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro 1995th It thrives lithophytically.
Cryptanthus diamantinensis Leme : It was first described in 1999 from the Brazilian state of Bahia. It thrives lithophytically.
Cryptanthus dianae Leme : It wasfirst describedin 1990 from the Brazilian state of Goiás . It thrives terrestrially at altitudes of around 570 meters.
Cryptanthus dorothyae Leme : It was first described in 1996 from the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo.
Cryptanthus exaltatus H.E. Luther : It was first described in 1990 from the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo. It thrives at altitudes of around 300 meters.
Cryptanthus felixii J.A. Siqueira & Leme : It was first described from Brazil in 2007. It thrives at altitudes of around 789 meters in the Brazilian states of Alagoas and Pernambuco .
Cryptanthus fernseeoides Leme : It was first described in 1996 from the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo.
Cryptanthus ferrarius Leme & CCPaula : It was first described in 2006 from the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. It thrives terrestrially in the "Campos Rupestres" vegetation at altitudes of 1000 to 1220 meters.
Cryptanthus fosterianus L.B.Sm. : This endemic thrives terrestrially at altitudes of around 350 meters in the Serra Negra only in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco near the border with Paraíba.
Cryptanthus giganteus Leme & APFontana : It was first described in 2008 from the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo. This endemic thrives terrestrially in the deeply shaded herb layer in the fragmented remains of a dry, semi-evergreen, liana-rich Mata Atlântica at altitudes of 170 to 200 meters.
Cryptanthus glaziovii Mez : It thrives terrestrially at altitudes of 1400 to 1600 meters only in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.
Cryptanthus grazielae H.Luther : It was first described in 1999 from the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo.
Cryptanthus heimenii P.J.Braun & Gonçalves Brito : The species wasfirst describedin 2019 in The bromeliad from Sergipe.
Cryptanthus ilhanus Leme : It was first described in 2013 from the Brazilian state of Bahia. It thrives terrestrially at altitudes of around 400 meters.
Cryptanthus lacerdae Antoine (Syn .: Cryptanthus lacerdae hort. Ex Gentil ): It was first described on the basis of a cultivated specimen that came from Brazil. The holotype material has been lost. The exact origin and current distribution is not known.
Cryptanthus latifolius Leme : It was first described in 1991 from the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo. It thrives at altitudes of around 300 meters.
Cryptanthus lavrasensis Leme : It was first described in 2007 from the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. It thrives terrestrially in an open "Campos Rupestres" vegetation at altitudes of around 1300 meters and has so far only been found in Ouro Preto, Lavras Novas.
Cryptanthus leopoldo-horstii Rauh : It thrives in cracks in the rock at altitudes of around 100 meters only in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.
Cryptanthus leuzingerae Leme : It was first described in 1999 from the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo. It thrives terrestrially.
Cryptanthus lutherianus I.Ramírez : It was first described from the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo 1998th It thrives terrestrially in humid grasslands at altitudes of around 100 meters along the coastline.
Cryptanthus lyman-smithii Leme : It was first described in 1999 from the Brazilian state of Bahia. It thrives terrestrially.
Cryptanthus marginatus L.B.Sm. (Syn .: Cryptanthus bivittatus var. Luddemannii Baker ): It occurs only in the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo.
Cryptanthus microglazioui I.Ramírez : It was first described from the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo 1998th There are no more precise information about the location of this species.
Cryptanthus micrus Louzada, wall. & Versieux : It was first described in 2006 from the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. It thrives on quartzite rocks, on vertical rocks in cracks and in rocky areas at altitudes of 860 to 1400 meters.
Cryptanthus minarum L.B.Sm. : It occurs only in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.
Cryptanthus praetextus E. Morren ex Baker : It only thrives terrestrially in the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo.
Cryptanthus pseudoglaziovii Leme : It thrives on very moist rocks or on some kind of sandy subsoil at altitudes of 700 to 750 meters only in the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo.
Cryptanthus pseudoscaposus L.B.Sm. : This endemic species has so far only been found at an altitude of about 75 meters from Domingos Martins to Vitoria in the Brazilian state of Espirito Santo.
Cryptanthus regius Leme : It was first described in 2007 from the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. It thrives lithophytically on rocks in the "Campos Rupestres" at an altitude of about 1000 meters and has so far only been found in the Serra de Sao Jose near Marco Zero da Estrada Real.
Cryptanthus reisii Leme : It was first described in 2002 from the Brazilian state of Bahia. It thrives terrestrially at an altitude of about 300 meters.
Cryptanthus reptans Leme & JASiqueira : It wasfirst describedin 2006/7 from the Brazilian state of Pernambuco . So far it has only been found growing terrestrially in small groups in the leaf litter on the damp, shady soil of the lowland Mata Atlântica at an altitude of about 91 meters.
Cryptanthus rigidifolius Leme : It was first described in 2013 from the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo. So far it has only been found growing terrestrially at an altitude of about 685 meters on hills covered by damp Mata Atlântica.
Cryptanthus roberto-kautskyi Leme : It thrives terrestrially at altitudes of 700 to 800 meters only in the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo.
Cryptanthus ruthae Philcox : It thrives terrestrially in the evergreen coastal forest only in the Brazilian state of Bahia.
Cryptanthus sanctaluciae Leme & L. Kollmann : It was first described in 2008 from the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo. This endemic thrives lithophytically only at an altitude of about 750 meters on shady, damp rock walls in the interior of the Mata Atlântica.
Cryptanthus scaposus E. Perira (Syn .: Cryptanthus scaposus var. Kautskyanus E. Perira ): It occurs only in the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo.
Cryptanthus schwackeanus Mez : It thrives lithophytically or terrestrially on open rocky slopes and in summit areas in the Brazilian states of Minas Gerais and São Paulo.
Cryptanthus seidelianus W. Weber : It only thrives at altitudes of around 550 meters in the Brazilian state of Bahia.
Cryptanthus sergipensis I.Ramírez : It grows terrestrially in forests with sandy soils in altitudes from 0 to 100 meters only in the northeastern Brazilian state of Sergipe .
Cryptanthus sinuosus L.B.Sm. (Syn .: Cryptanthus acaulis var. Argenteus Beer ): It thrives on rocks in forests at about sea level only in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro.
Cryptanthus tabuleiricola Leme & L. Kollmann : It was first described in 2013 from the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo. So far it has only been found at altitudes of about 150 meters on the table land in fragmented small remnants of the Mata Atlântica. It thrives terrestrially in shady and humid locations.
Cryptanthus teretifolius Leme : It was first described in 2002 from the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo. It thrives terrestrially in tree-like vegetation on sandy soils.
Cryptanthus tiradentesensis Leme : It was first described in 2007 from the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. It thrives lithophytically between rocks, partly shaded by bushes until in full sun on the bare rocks, in the "Campos Rupestres" vegetation at altitudes of 700 to 1200 meters.
Cryptanthus ubairensis I.Ramírez : It was first described from the Brazilian state of Bahia 1998th So far it has only been found terrestrially in diffuse light on slopes in open woodland on sandy soils at an altitude of about 150 meters in the municipality of Ubaira about 3 km east of Ubaira on the road to Mutuipe.
Cryptanthus venecianus Leme & L. Kollmann : It was first described in 2010 from the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo. So far it has only been found terrestrially in shady locations in the semi-evergreen tropical forest growing at an altitude of about 580 meters in the Serra de Baixo.
Cryptanthus vexatus Leme : It only occurs in the Brazilian state of Bahia and has so far only been found at an altitude of about 300 meters.
Cryptanthus viridipetalus Leme & L. Kollmann : It was first described in 2013 from the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo. So far it has only been found terrestrially in partially shaded locations under tree-like or shrubby vegetation on shallow soils in the Mata Atlântica, growing at an altitude of about 160 meters.
Cryptanthus viridovinosus Leme : It was first described in 2010 from the Brazilian state of Bahia. So far it has only been found growing terrestrially on sandy soils in partially shaded locations at an altitude of about 80 meters.
Cryptanthus walkerianus Leme & L. Kollmann : It was first described in 2014 from the Brazilian state of Bahia. So far it has only been found terrestrially, growing individually or in small groups on the shady forest floor in the damp Mata Atlântica at an altitude of about 140 meters.
Cryptanthus warasii E. Pereira : It only thrives on rocks in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.
Cryptanthus whitmanii Leme : It thrives terrestrially in the Mata Atlântica only in the Brazilian state of Espírito.
Cryptanthus zonatus (Vis.) Beer : It thrives terrestrially only in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco.
Habit and flowers of the variegated cultivar Cryptanthus osiris 'Tricolor'
use
Some species and varieties (there are also varieties with variegated leaves) are used as ornamental plants . Their easy care and the mostly small growth make them very good house plants . As robust plants that are not eaten by most animals and are completely non-toxic, they are also highly recommended for terrariums . The multiplication takes place through Kindel . Cryptanthus species are rarely called earth star.
swell
literature
Werner Rauh : Bromeliads - Tillandsias and other bromeliads worthy of culture. Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 1990, ISBN 3-8001-6371-3
^ Cryptanthus in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), USDA , ARS , National Genetic Resources Program. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. Retrieved September 11, 2014.
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