Tillandsia complanata Benth.

  • 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 complanata Benth.

  • Type

    Type. Sinclair sn (holotype K, GH photo), Atacames, Esmeraldas, Ecuador, 1836-39.

  • Synonyms

    Tillandsia axillaris Griseb.

  • Description

    Description - Plant stemless. Leaves many in a dense rosette, 3-4 dm long or rarely more, mostly exceeding the inflorescences, spotted, streaked, or suffused with dark purple especially toward the base; sheaths elliptic or narrowly ovate, 10-16 cm long, densely and minutely brown-appressed-lepidote; blades ligulate, abruptly acute or subobtuse, apiculate 3-5 cm wide, obscurely punctulate-lepidote, soon glabrous above. Scapes many from the axils of the leaves, ascending then decurved, 1-2 mm in diameter above the flattened base, glabrous; scape-bracts numerous, erect, usually imbricate, narrowly lanceolate, acute or acuminate, subchartaceous, glabrous or subglabrous. Inflorescence simple, lanceolate or linear in outline, acute, densely 4-24-flowered, to 8 cm long, 15-20 mm wide, usually complanate, glabrous. Floral bracts erect, imbricate elliptic, obtuse, 15-25 mm long, exceeding the sepals, coriaceous or subcoriaceous, even or prominently nerved, ecarinate, often rose or purple; flowers subsessile. Sepals lanceolate, acute, 10-15 mm long, subcoriaceous, the posterior ones carinate and usually much connate; petals ligulate, about 2 cm long, rose, purple, or blue, the blade suberect, obtuse; stamens and pistil slightly shorter than the petals. Capsule slenderly cylindric, acute, 4 cm long.

  • Common Names

    Güicho

  • Distribution

    Epiphytic in forest, 800-3500 m alt, Greater Antilles, Costa Rica to Bolivia and northern Brazil.

    Costa Rica South America| Cartago Costa Rica Central America| Panama Central America| Chiriquí Panamá Central America| Cuba South America| Oriente Cuba South America| Jamaica South America| Portland Jamaica South America| Saint Thomas Jamaica South America| Saint Andrew Jamaica South America| Colombia South America| Norte de Santander Colombia South America| Santander Colombia South America| Antioquia Colombia South America| Boyacá Colombia South America| Cundinamarca Colombia South America| Caldas Colombia South America| Valle Colombia South America| Cauca Colombia South America| Nariño Colombia South America| Putumayo Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Miranda Venezuela South America| Distrito Federal Venezuela South America| Aragua Venezuela South America| Lara Venezuela South America| Trujillo Venezuela South America| Mérida Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America| Trinidad and Tobago South America| Ecuador South America| Manabí Ecuador South America| Guayas Ecuador South America| El Oro Ecuador South America| Carchi Ecuador South America| Imbabura Ecuador South America| Pichincha Ecuador South America| Cotopaxi Ecuador South America| Tungurahua Ecuador South America| Chimborazo Ecuador South America| Cañar Ecuador South America| Azuay Ecuador South America| Loja Ecuador South America| Napo Ecuador South America| Peru South America| Piura Peru South America| Amazonas Peru South America| Loreto Peru South America| Junín Peru South America| La Paz Bolivia South America| Bolivia South America| Brazil South America|