Tillandsia purpurea Ruiz & Pav.
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Authority
Smith, Lyman B. & Downs, Robert J. 1977. Tillandsioideae (Bromeliaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 14 (2): 663-1492. (Published by NYBG Press)
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Family
Bromeliaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Type. Ruiz & Pavon s n (isotype BM, GH photo), Canta, Huarochiri, and near Lima, Peru.
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Synonyms
Tillandsia straminea Kunth, Tillandsia azurea Ruiz & Pav., Tillandsia scoparia Willd. ex Schult.f., Tillandsia longebracteata Meyen, Platystachys purpurea (Ruiz & Pav.) Beer, Anoplophytum longebracteatum Beer, Platystachys scoparia Beer, Phytarhiza purpurea E.Morren ex Baker
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Description
Description - Plant very variable, stemless to long-caulescent, flowering to 7 dm long. Leaves rosulate or distributed along the stem, polystichous, 1-2 dm long, covered with fine cinereous or fuscous spreading scales; sheaths obscure; blades narrowly triangular, 14 mm wide, filiform-attenuate, more or less recurving. Scape erect, slender, variable in length; scape-bracts imbricate, narrowly elliptic, filiform-laminate, thin, densely lepidote. Inflorescence bipinnate, sublaxly pyramidal, to 9 cm long; primary bracts lanceolate, acute, shorter than the spikes, stramineous to purple, lepidote to glabrous; spikes erect to spreading, subsessile, lanceolate, 30-60 mm long, lax, about 6-8-flowered; rhachis geniculate, exposed. Floral bracts subspreading, lanceolate, acute, 15-20 mm long, about equaling to slightly exceeded by the sepals, carinate, incurved, stramineous, finely striate; pedicels distinct, cylindric, to 5 mm long. Sepals equally subfree, lanceolate, acute, to 11 (-16) mm long, nerved, glabrous; petals purple or blue and white, the blades suberect at anthesis, elliptic, 5 mm long; stamens included; filaments straight, exceeding the pistil.
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Discussion
Note. Recent field observations by Rauh indicate that Tillandsia straminea and T. purpurea merge in all characters that were formerly used to separate them. Apparently T. straminea is the primitive inland epiphytic form and T. purpurea the highly adapted sea beach form of a single species.
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Distribution
On sand, rock, and xerophytic vegetation, from near sea level to 900 (rarely 3100) m alt, coastal Ecuador and Peru.
Ecuador South America| El Oro Ecuador South America| Loja Ecuador South America| Peru South America| Piura Peru South America| Cajamarca Peru South America| Amazonas Peru South America| La Libertad Peru South America| Ancash Peru South America| Lima Peru South America| Huánuco Peru South America| Ica Peru South America| Apurímac Peru South America| Arequipa Peru South America| Moquegua Peru South America|