Monographs Details:
Authority:

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

Bromeliaceae
Synonyms:

Tillandsia elongata Kunth
Description:

Description - Plant flowering to 2 m high. Leaves rosulate, 8-13 dm long, densely and minutely appressed-lepidote throughout; sheaths elliptic, 15 cm long; blades linear-triangular, attenuate to an abruptly acute apex, 3-4 cm wide at base, flat, coriaceous, prominently veined and keeled. Scape erect, over 1 cm in diameter; scape-bracts erect, foliaceous, densely imbricate. Inflorescence amply and laxly tripinnate, pyramidal, 6 dm long, 3 dm in diameter; axes glabrous; primary bracts like the scape-bracts but the uppermost bladeless, their sheaths much shorter than the axillary branches; branches suberect to spreading, often bearing sterile bracts near the base; spikes 4-12-flowered, oblong to linear-oblong, acute, complanate, 13-15 mm wide at anthesis, the fertile part 5-8 cm long; rhachis angled, flexuous, glabrous. Floral bracts suberect, two to three times as long as the internodes but exposing most of the rhachis at anthesis, ovate, broadly acute or obtuse, 15 mm long, exceeding the sepals, convex, ecarinate, subcoriaceous, prominently nerved, glabrous or sparsely lepidote toward apex, red-purple; flowers erect, short-stipitate. Sepals ovate-oblong, obtuse, 10-12 mm long, subcoriaceous, glabrous, subfree, the posterior carinate; petals ligulate, obtuse, 17 mm long, violet; stamens and pistil included. Capsule slenderly cylindric, beaked, 32 mm long.

Distribution:

Costa Rica South America| San José Costa Rica Central America| Colombia South America| Nariño Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Distrito Federal Venezuela South America| Peru South America| Amazonas Peru South America| Bolivia South America| Santa Cruz Bolivia South America|