Monographs Details:
Authority:
Smith, Lyman B. 1957. The Bromeliaceae of Colombia. Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 33: i-v, 1-311.
Smith, Lyman B. 1957. The Bromeliaceae of Colombia. Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 33: i-v, 1-311.
Family:
Bromeliaceae
Bromeliaceae
Description:
Description - Plants usually in dense masses, 7-32 cm. high; leaves 8-15, often exceeding the inflorescence, covered with fine closely appressed cinereous scales, sheaths, greatly inflated, 2-5 cm., forming an ovoid pseudbulb, green or greenish white, often with a narrow red or purple margin, blades involute-subulate, acuminate, contorted, spreading and at least the outer ones making a sharp angle with the apex of the sheath, to 3 dm. long, 2-7 mm. in diameter; scape erect; scape-bracts foliaceous with elongate blades exceeding the inflorescence, the upper often red; inflorescence simple or subdigitate from a few spikes, red or green; primary bracts ovate, acute, much shorter than the spikes but their foliaceous blades sometimes exceeding them; spikes spreading, lanceolate, acute, complanate, 2-6 cm. long, 2-8-flowered; rhachis slender, lepidote; floral bracts imbricate, ovate, acute, 15 mm. long, exceeding the sepals, two to three times as long as the internodes, subchartaceous, densely and finely lepidote, carinate; sepals oblong, apiculate, 13 mm. long, glabrous, more or less connate posteriorly; petals linear, acute, 3-4 cm. long, blue or violet; stamens exserted; capsule cylindric, to 4 cm. long.
Description - Plants usually in dense masses, 7-32 cm. high; leaves 8-15, often exceeding the inflorescence, covered with fine closely appressed cinereous scales, sheaths, greatly inflated, 2-5 cm., forming an ovoid pseudbulb, green or greenish white, often with a narrow red or purple margin, blades involute-subulate, acuminate, contorted, spreading and at least the outer ones making a sharp angle with the apex of the sheath, to 3 dm. long, 2-7 mm. in diameter; scape erect; scape-bracts foliaceous with elongate blades exceeding the inflorescence, the upper often red; inflorescence simple or subdigitate from a few spikes, red or green; primary bracts ovate, acute, much shorter than the spikes but their foliaceous blades sometimes exceeding them; spikes spreading, lanceolate, acute, complanate, 2-6 cm. long, 2-8-flowered; rhachis slender, lepidote; floral bracts imbricate, ovate, acute, 15 mm. long, exceeding the sepals, two to three times as long as the internodes, subchartaceous, densely and finely lepidote, carinate; sepals oblong, apiculate, 13 mm. long, glabrous, more or less connate posteriorly; petals linear, acute, 3-4 cm. long, blue or violet; stamens exserted; capsule cylindric, to 4 cm. long.