Tillandsia gymnobotrya Baker

  • 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 gymnobotrya Baker

  • Type

    Type. Bourgeau 3076 (holotype K, GH photo), Orizaba, Vera Cruz, Mexico, 1865-66.

  • Synonyms

    Tillandsia tridactylites E.Morren ex Baker, Tillandsia liebmanniana E.Morren ex Baker, Tillandsia purpusii Mez

  • Description

    Description - Plant stemless, flowering 2-7 dm high. Leaves many in a crateriform rosette, 15-50 cm long, chartaceous when dry; sheaths elliptic, 6-12 cm long, brown, densely and finely brown-appressed-lepidote; blades narrowly triangular, subfiliform-attenuate, 15-25 mm wide, flat, thin, even, densely and finely pale-appressed-lepidote, especially below. Scape erect, up to 8 mm in diameter, equaling or slightly shorter than the leaves; scape-bracts erect, densely imbricate, foliaceous. Inflorescence laxly compound with the lower branches simple or bearing 2-5 spikes, subpyramidal, to 3 dm long and 2 dm in diameter; axes red, glabrous; primary bracts lance-ovate, their sheaths much shorter than the spreading axillary branches, but the lower ones with long foliaceous blades which usually exceed the branches; secondary bracts no larger than the floral bracts; spikes divergent, short-stipitate, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, rather laxly 5-8-flowered with several sterile bracts at base, complanate, to 7 cm long and 15 mm wide; rhachis slender, flexuous. Floral bracts divergent, scarcely or not at all imbricate and completely exposing the rhachis, elliptic, obtuse when expanded, to 16 mm long, equaling or exceeding the sepals, 3 times as long as the internodes, ecarinate, chartaceous, prominently nerved, glabrous or sparsely lepidote toward apex; flowers short-pedicellate. Sepals elliptic, obtuse, 11-13 mm long, coriaceous, glabrous, free; petals with linear claw and elliptic obtuse blade, 18 mm long; stamens and pistil included.

  • Distribution

    Saxicolous and epiphytic, cliffs and forest, 900-2400 m alt, central Mexico.

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