Tillandsia balbisiana Schult.f.
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Authority
Smith, Lyman B. 1957. The Bromeliaceae of Colombia. Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 33: i-v, 1-311.
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Family
Bromeliaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Description - Plant stemless, 13-65 cm. high; leaves many, covered with minute pale appressed scales, sheaths ovate, forming an ovoid or ellipsoid pseudobulb to 12 cm. long, pale-ferruginous toward the base, blades abruptly spreading or recurved from the apices of the sheaths, filiform acuminate, 1 cm. wide, usually all involute; scape erect or ascending, slender, subglabrous; scape-bracts imbricate, elliptic with long linear spreading or reflexed blades, inflated; inflorescence densely pinnate or subdigitate or rarely simple, slenderly fusiform or subcylindric, to 2 dm. long; primary bracts like the upper scape-bracts, at least their sheaths shorter than the spikes; spikes sessile, strict, linear, acute, complanate, 3-12 cm. long, 12 mm. wide; floral bracts imbricate, ovate, obtuse and apicidate but often appearing acute, 15-22 mm. long, exceeding the sepals, glabrous or obscurely lepidote, ecarinate, often bright red; sepals lanceolate, acute, glabrous, connate posteriorly; petals tubular-erect, obtuse, 30-45 mm. long, violet; stamens exserted; capsule cylindric, 4 cm. long.