Tillandsia paraensis Mez

  • 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 paraensis Mez

  • Type

    Type. Sieber 68 (holotype BR, GH photo), Para, Brazil, 1826.

  • Synonyms

    Tillandsia boliviensis Baker, Vriesea sanctae-crucis S.Moore, Tillandsia juruana Ule, Tillandsia sanctae-crucis (S.Moore) Mez

  • Description

    Description - Plant stemless, flowering 15-46 cm high. Leaves to 35 cm long, covered with minute pale appressed scales, the outer reduced to small acute sheaths, the inner sheaths large, ovate, convex and forming an ovoid pseudobulb; blades very narrowly triangular, abruptly acute, pungent, involute. Scape curved, suberect, 3 mm in diameter, sparsely lepidote; scape-bracts elliptic, equaling or slightly exceeding the internodes, densely lepidote, the lower long-laminate, the upper apiculate. Inflorescence simple or of two spikes; primary bract like the upper scape-bracts, much shorter than the spikes; spikes linear, complanate, 6-17-flowered, to 25 cm long. Floral bracts erect and imbricate but later convolute about the flowers and exposing the rhachis, broadly elliptic or suborbicular, obtuse or minutely apiculate, 25-32 mm long, much exceeding the sepals, ecarinate, nerved, subchartaceous, greenish, yellowish, or purplish; densely lepidote; flowers subsessile. Sepals free, elliptic, acute, 24 mm long, ecarinate, lepidote; petals 33-70 mm long, erect, red; stamens exserted. Capsule cylindric, 3-7 cm long.

  • Distribution

    Epiphytic in forest, 100-490 m alt, Colombia to Venezuela, western Brazil, and Bolivia.

    Colombia South America| Vaupés Colombia South America| Amazonas Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America| Amazonas Venezuela South America| Suriname South America| Peru South America| San Martín Peru South America| Loreto Peru South America| Maynas Peru South America| Bolivia South America| La Paz Bolivia South America| Santa Cruz Bolivia South America| Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Rondônia Brazil South America| Acre Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America| Mato Grosso Brazil South America|