Tillandsia utriculata L.
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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. Sloane s n (BM, GH photo), Jamaica.
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Synonyms
Tillandsia lingulata L., Tillandsia polystachya J.F.Gmel., Tillandsia bartrami Elliott, Tillandsia flexuosa var. pallida Lindl., Tillandsia ramosa Sweet, Tillandsia nuttalliana Schult., Tillandsia ligulata Schult.f. ex Bartram, Anoplophytum flexuosum var. pallidum (Lindl.) Beer, Vriesea ramosa Beer, Platystachys utriculata (L.) Beer, Vriesea utriculata (L.) Regel, Platystachys ehrenbergii Beer, Allardtia potockii Antoine, Tillandsia sintenisii Baker
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Description
Description - Plant stemless, 0.5-2 m high. Leaves many in a dense utriculate rosette, 4-10 dm long, densely and finely pale-appressed-lepidote throughout; sheaths subovate, large; blades linear-triangular, long-attenuate, 2-7 cm wide at base, the outer ones usually recurving. Scape erect, equaling or often exceeding the leaves, stout or slender, glabrous; scape-bracts erect, tubular-involute, barely imbricate or the uppermost sometimes remote, ovate, the lower ones linear-laminate, the upper acute. Inflorescence central, amply bi- or tripinnate or rarely simple, lax, glabrous; primary bracts like the upper scape-bracts, not more than 4 cm long, much shorter than the sterile base of the axillary branch, often dark violet; branches curved-ascending; spiciform racemes to 35 cm long with an elongate sterile base bearing several bracts, laxly flowered; rhachis slender, undulate, sulcate, strongly flattened next the flowers. Floral bracts erect, enfolding the base of the flower but very little of the rhachis, ovate, obtuse or acutish, much exceeded by the sepals, equaling or shorter than the internodes, closely and prominently nerved throughout, subcoriaceous and green with a broad, membranaceous, often dark purple margin, ecarinate; flowers erect, appressed to the rhachis; pedicels stout, to 5 mm long. Sepals narrowly elliptic or obovate, obtuse, 14-18 mm long, subcoriaceous with a membranaceous margin, prominently nerved; petals tubular-erect, linear, acute, 3-4 cm long, white; stamens and pistil exserted. Capsule slenderly cylindric, acute, 4 cm long; seed with a long apical appendage.
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Distribution
Epiphytic, from near sea level to 1200 m alt, Georgia (Bartram) and Florida, West Indies, Mexico, northern Central America, Venezuela.
United States of America North America| Florida United States of America North America| Mexico North America| Tamaulipas Mexico North America| Veracruz Mexico North America| Guatemala Central America| Petén Guatemala Central America| Honduras Central America| Comayagua Honduras Central America| Atlántida Honduras Central America| Costa Rica South America| Alajuela Costa Rica Central America| Cartago Costa Rica Central America| Piñar del Río Cuba South America| La Habana Cuba South America| Las Villas Cuba West Indies| Oriente Cuba South America| Bahamas South America| Central Eleuthera Bahamas South America| Jamaica South America| Haiti South America| Dominican Republic South America| Barahona Dominican Republic South America| Puerto Rico South America| Cayey Puerto Rico South America| Coamo Puerto Rico South America| Yauco Puerto Rico South America| Isla Culebra Puerto Rico South America| Vieques Puerto Rico South America| Bayamón Puerto Rico South America| Maricao Puerto Rico South America| Virgin Islands South America| Saint Thomas Virgin Islands of the United States South America| Saint Croix Virgin Islands of the United States South America| Anguilla South America| St.Martin-St.Barthélémy South America| Saba South America| Sint Eustatius South America| Saint Kitts and Nevis South America| Antigua and Barbuda South America| Montserrat South America| Guadeloupe South America| Dominica South America| Martinique South America| Saint Lucia South America| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines South America| Grenada South America| Curaçao South America| Venezuela South America| Monagas Venezuela South America| Distrito Federal Venezuela South America| Falcón Venezuela South America| Trinidad and Tobago South America|