Deuterocohnia is a genus of bromeliads in the family Bromeliaceae, placed within the subfamily Pitcairnioideae and the order Poales. The genus is endemic to South America, where its members grow in arid and semi-arid habitats, including rocky outcrops and high-altitude grasslands across Argentina, Bolivia, and neighbouring countries.
Members of Deuterocohnia are typically terrestrial or saxicolous (rock-dwelling) plants with stiff, spiny-margined leaves arranged in dense rosettes. Unlike many bromeliads, they do not form water-holding cups (tanks) in their leaf bases; instead they are adapted for drought tolerance. The genus comprises around 10–22 recognised species depending on the taxonomic treatment, with GBIF currently listing 22 descendants.
The genus has an interesting taxonomic history: plants previously described under the genus Abromeitiella Mez were reclassified into Deuterocohnia following molecular (DNA) phylogenetic analysis, which showed Abromeitiella to be nested within Deuterocohnia. This synonymisation consolidated several compact, cushion-forming species — such as those found at high Andean elevations — under the Deuterocohnia name.
Deuterocohnia species are of interest to specialist bromeliad and succulent collectors for their drought-hardiness and architectural rosette forms.
Etymology
The genus name Deuterocohnia honours Ferdinand Julius Cohn (1828–1898), a German-Jewish botanist and bacteriologist who made foundational contributions to microbiology. The prefix Deutero- (from Greek, meaning "second") was used to distinguish this genus from the previously named Cohnia.
Distribution
Deuterocohnia is endemic to South America, with species distributed primarily across Argentina and Bolivia, extending into adjacent parts of the central Andes. Plants typically grow in rocky, dry habitats including stony slopes, cliff faces, and high Andean grasslands (puna).
Taxonomy Notes
The genus Abromeitiella Mez, previously treated as a separate genus of small, cushion-forming Andean bromeliads, has been subsumed into Deuterocohnia on the basis of molecular phylogenetic evidence. GBIF lists Abromeitiella Mez as a synonym. The genus belongs to subfamily Pitcairnioideae, one of the three traditional subfamilies of Bromeliaceae, which groups taxa that are generally drought-adapted and lack the water-impounding leaf tanks typical of subfamily Bromelioideae.
