Tillandsia biflora Ruiz & Pav.

  • 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 biflora Ruiz & Pav.

  • Type

    Type. Ruiz & Pavon s n (holotype MA nv), Muña, Huánuco, Peru.

  • Synonyms

    Diaphoranthema biflora (Ruiz & Pav.) Beer, Tillandsia tetrantha Ruiz & Pav., Tillandsia grisebachiana Baker, Tillandsia biflora var. cruenta André, Tillandsia augustae-regiae Mez

  • Description

    Description - Plant stemless, flowering to 35 cm high. Leaves utriculate-rosulate, 2 dm long, obscurely punctulate-lepidote, often purple-mottled; sheaths ovate, large; blades ligulate, 2 cm wide, acute. Scape slender, usually curved; scape-bracts foliaceous, densely imbricate. Inflorescence densely bipinnate or rarely reduced to a single polystichous-flowered spike, ovoid, glabrous or obscurely punctulate-lepidote; primary bracts broadly ovate, thin, inflated, exceeding the lower and middle spikes, the lower acuminate, the upper apiculate; spikes laxly 1-3-flowered, short-stipitate. Floral bracts broadly ovate, obtuse or rarely broadly acute, much shorter than the sepals, carinate, strongly nerved, membranaceous; flowers suberect, 2 cm long. Sepals oblong, obtuse or rarely broadly acute, 12-15 mm long, subfree, carinate, nerved; petals ligulate, blue, lavender, or purple; stamens and pistil included.

  • Distribution

    Epiphytic in forest or rarely saxicolous, 1900-3000 m alt, Costa Rica, Panama, northwestern South America.

    Costa Rica South America| San José Costa Rica Central America| Cartago Costa Rica Central America| Panama Central America| Chiriquí Panamá Central America| Colombia South America| Magdalena Colombia South America| Norte de Santander Colombia South America| Antioquia Colombia South America| Cundinamarca Colombia South America| Valle Colombia South America| Huila Colombia South America| Cauca Colombia South America| Putumayo Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Sucre Venezuela South America| Distrito Federal Venezuela South America| Trujillo Venezuela South America| Zulia Venezuela South America| Mérida Venezuela South America| Táchira Venezuela South America| Ecuador South America| Tungurahua Ecuador South America| Loja Ecuador South America| Peru South America| Amazonas Peru South America| Huánuco Peru South America| Junín Peru South America| Cusco Peru South America| Puno Peru South America| Bolivia South America| La Paz Bolivia South America|