Cryptanthus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Bromeliaceae, subfamily Bromelioideae. The genus name is from the Greek cryptos (hidden) and anthos (flower). The genus formerly had two recognized subgenera: the type subgenus and subgenus Hoplocryptanthus Mez which has been raised to the separate genus Hoplocryptanthus. All species of this genus are endemic to Brazil. The common name for any Cryptanthus is "Earth star".
Species , Plants of the World Online accepted the following species:
Cryptanthus acaulis (Lindl.) Beer Cryptanthus alagoanus Leme & J.A.Siqueira Cryptanthus apiculatantherus D.M.C.Ferreira, E.M.Almeida & Louzada Cryptanthus bahianus L.B.Sm. Cryptanthus beuckeri É.Morren Cryptanthus bibarrensis Leme Cryptanthus bivittatus (Hook.) Regel Cryptanthus boanovensis Leme Cryptanthus brevibracteatus D.M.C.Ferreira & Louzada Cryptanthus brevifolius Leme Cryptanthus bromelioides Otto & A.Dietr. Cryptanthus capitatus Leme Cryptanthus capitellatus Leme & L.Kollmann Cryptanthus colnagoi Rauh & Leme Cryptanthus coriaceus Leme Cryptanthus correia-araujoi Leme Cryptanthus crassifolius Leme Cryptanthus cruzalmensis Leme & E.H.Souza Cryptanthus delicatus Leme Cryptanthus diamantinensis Leme Cryptanthus dianae Leme Cryptanthus dorothyae Leme Cryptanthus felixii J.A.Siqueira & Leme Cryptanthus flesheri E.H.Souza & Leme Cryptanthus giganteus Leme & A.P.Fontana Cryptanthus grazielae H.Luther Cryptanthus guanduensis Leme & L.Kollmann Cryptanthus heimenii P.J.Braun & Gonç.Brito Cryptanthus ilhanus Leme Cryptanthus incrassatus L.B.Sm. Cryptanthus lacerdae Van Geert Cryptanthus lutandensis E.H.Souza & Leme Cryptanthus lutherianus I.Ramírez Cryptanthus lyman-smithii Leme Cryptanthus marginatus L.B.Sm. Cryptanthus maritimus L.B.Sm. Cryptanthus minarum L.B.Sm. Cryptanthus osiris W.Weber Cryptanthus pickelii L.B.Sm. Cryptanthus praetextus É.Morren ex Baker Cryptanthus pseudopetiolatus Philcox Cryptanthus reisii Leme Cryptanthus reptans Leme & J.A.Siqueira Cryptanthus rigidifolius Leme Cryptanthus robsonianus Leme Cryptanthus ruthiae Philcox Cryptanthus santateresinhensis Leme Cryptanthus santosii Leme & E.H.Souza Cryptanthus seidelianus W.Weber Cryptanthus sergipensis I.Ramírez Cryptanthus solidadeanus Leme & E.H.Souza Cryptanthus tabuleiricola Leme & L.Kollmann Cryptanthus teretifolius Leme Cryptanthus ubairensis I.Ramírez Cryptanthus univittatus Leme Cryptanthus venecianus Leme & L.Kollmann Cryptanthus viridipetalus Leme & L.Kollmann Cryptanthus viridovinosus Leme Cryptanthus walkerianus Leme & L.Kollmann Cryptanthus warren-loosei Leme Cryptanthus zonatus (Lem.) Vis.
Former species A major revision of Cryptanthus in 2017 based on both morphological and molecular characters elevated a former subgenus to the genus Hoplocryptanthus and created two new genera, Forzzaea and Rokautskyia, transferring many former Cryptanthus species to these three genera.
Transferred to Forzzaea Cryptanthus leopoldo-horstii Rauh → Forzzaea leopoldo-horstii (Rauh) Leme, S.Heller & Zizka Cryptanthus micrus Louzada, Wand. & Versieux → Forzzaea micra (Louzada, Wand. & Versieux) Leme, S.Heller & Zizka Cryptanthus warasii E.Pereira → Forzzaea warasii (E.Pereira) Leme, S.Heller & Zizka
Transferred to Haplocryptanthus Cryptanthus caracensis Leme & E.Gross → Hoplocryptanthus caracensis Cryptanthus ferrarius Leme & C.C.Paula → Hoplocryptanthus ferrarius Cryptanthus glaziovii Mez → Hoplocryptanthus glaziovii Cryptanthus lavrasensis Leme → Hoplocryptanthus lavrasensis Cryptanthus regius Leme → Hoplocryptanthus regius Cryptanthus schwackeanus Mez → Hoplocryptanthus schwackeanus Cryptanthus tiradentesensis Leme → Hoplocryptanthus tiradentesensis
Transferred to Rokautskyia Cryptanthus caulescens I.Ramírez → Rokautskyia caulescens Cryptanthus exaltatus H.Luther → Rokautskyia exaltata Cryptanthus fernseeoides Leme → Rokautskyia fernseeoides Cryptanthus latifolius Leme → Rokautskyia latifolia Cryptanthus leuzingerae Leme → Rokautskyia leuzingerae Cryptanthus microglazioui I.Ramírez → Rokautskyia microglazioui (I.Ramírez) Leme, S.Heller & Zizka Cryptanthus odoratissimus Leme → Rokautskyia odoratissima Cryptanthus pseudoglaziovii Leme → Rokautskyia pseudoglaziovii Cryptanthus pseudoscaposus L.B.Sm. → Rokautskyia pseudoscaposa Cryptanthus roberto-kautskyi Leme → Rokautskyia roberto-kautskyi Cryptanthus sanctaluciae Leme & L.Kollmann → Rokautskyia sanctaluciae Cryptanthus scaposus E.Pereira → Rokautskyia scaposa Cryptanthus whitmanii Leme → Rokautskyia whitmanii
Transferred to Siqueiranthus Cryptanthus cinereus D.M.C.Ferreira & Louzada → Siqueiranthus cinereus
References
External links BSI Genera Gallery photos http://fcbs.org/pictures/Cryptanthus.htm