Tillandsia pachyaxon L.B.Sm.

  • 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 pachyaxon L.B.Sm.

  • Type

    Type. Hitchcock 21672 (holotype US, isotypes GH, NY), on tree, Cuenca to Huigra, 2700-3000 m alt, Azuay-Cañar, Ecuador, 12-13 Sep 1923.

  • Description

    Description - Plant flowering over 1 m high. Leaves rosulate (?), 7 dm long, obscurely brown-punctulate-lepidote; sheaths broadly elliptic, nearly as long as the blades and slightly darker; blades narrowly lanceolate, acuminate, 7 cm wide, flat. Scape erect, stout; scape-bracts densely imbricate, subfoliaceous with conspicuous blades. Inflorescence subdensely bipinnate, cylindric, 6 dm long; axis 12 mm in diameter, strongly sulcate; primary bracts suberect, suborbicular, the lowest with triangular subfoliaceous apices and exceeding the axillary spikes, the highest merely apiculate; spikes subsessile, broadly ovate, acute, dense, 8-flowered, strongly complanate, 5 cm long, 3 cm wide. Floral bracts ovate, cucullate-inflexed at apex, slightly exceeding the sepals, carinate, coriaceous, faintly nerved when dry, soon glabrous. Sepals elliptic, obtuse, 25 mm long, ecarinate, equally very short-connate, sparsely lepidote; petal-blades elliptic, 10 mm long, light purple; stamens included.

  • Distribution

    Known from the type collection only.

    Ecuador South America|