Tillandsia cyanea Linden ex K.Koch

  • 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 cyanea Linden ex K.Koch

  • Description

    Description - Plant stemless, flowering scarcely more than 25 cm high. Leaves many, suberect, then recurving, 35 cm long, more or less red-striate toward base, finely appressed-lepidote; sheaths elliptic, distinct, 6 cm long; blades linear-triangular, attenuate, 10-15 mm wide. Scape erect or inclined, very short and almost completely hidden by the leaves; scape-bracts densely imbricate, the lower foliaceous, the upper elliptic, acute. Inflorescence simple with several sterile bracts at base, elliptic, obtuse or broadly acute, strongly complanate, to 16 cm long and 7 cm wide, very dense, to 20-flowered. Floral bracts elliptic, acute, sharply carinate, exceeding the sepals, coriaceous, even, rose or red, drying to stramineous, obscurely pale-lepidote. Sepals free, elliptic, obtuse or broadly acute, 35 mm long, the posterior carinate; petal-blades spreading, broadly subrhombic, apiculate, deep violet, 20-25 mm long; stamens deeply included, exceeding the style.