Tillandsia xiphioides Ker Gawl.

  • Authority

    Smith, Lyman B. & Downs, Robert J. 1977. Tillandsioideae (Bromeliaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 14 (2): 663-1492. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Bromeliaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Tillandsia xiphioides Ker Gawl.

  • Description

    Description - Plant flowering 15-30 cm or higher; roots present; stem from very short to 15 cm long, simple or few-branched. Leaves numerous, polystichous but sometimes almost distichous, erect to spreading, more or less curved or contorted, to 25 cm long but often much shorter, densely cinereous- or ferruginous-lepidote; sheaths large, densely imbricate, making the stem appear 1-2 cm in diameter, passing imperceptibly into the blades; blades narrowly triangular, subulate-attenuate, flat, to 2 cm wide. Scape from almost none to 12 cm long but always much obscured by the upper leaves, erect; scape-bracts densely imbricate and covering the scape, elliptic-oblong, thin, the lower ones caudate and lepidote, the upper apiculate and nearly or quite glabrous. Inflorescence always simple and distichous, lance-oblong, acute, to 12 cm long without the petals, 2-10-flowered; rhachis flexuous to 3 mm in diameter, narrowly alate. Floral bracts densely imbricate, usually several times longer than the internodes, lance-oblong, acute, to 7 cm long, much exceeding the septals, ca 14 mm wide, submembranous, strongly nerved with a broad scarious nerveless margin, glabrous or sometimes the lower ones sparsely lepidote, stramineous or suffused with red or violet, ecarinate; flowers sessile, to 10 cm long. Sepals linear-lanceolate, acuminate, to 42 mm long, free glabrous, submembranous, prominently nerved, the posterior carinate; petals white or violet, fragrant, the claw linear, blade broadly elliptic, obtuse, spreading, ca 2 cm wide, conspicuously crenate-serrate; stamens elongate, barely included or exserted from the throat of the corolla; filaments filiform, straight; anthers linear, 8 mm long; pistil exserted; style slender; ovary slenderly prismatic. Capsule stout, abruptly short-beaked, 3 cm long.