Billbergia zebrina (Herb.) Lindl.

  • Authority

    Smith, Lyman B. & Downs, Robert J. 1979. Bromelioideae (Bromeliaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 14 (3): 1493-2142. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Bromeliaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Billbergia zebrina (Herb.) Lindl.

  • Type

    Type. Lindley Hortus s n (clonotype, K; photo, US), 1838.

  • Synonyms

    Bromelia zebrina Herb., Anacyclia farinosa Hoffmanns., Tillandsia farinosa Lodd. ex Hoffmanns., Billbergia farinosa K.Koch ex E.Morren, Eucallias versicolor Raf., Billbergia stipulate Brongn. ex K.Koch, Helicodea leopoldi Verschaff. ex Lem., Helicodea zebrina (Herb.) Lem., Billbergia bicolor (Ruiz & Pav.) Schult.f., Cremobotrys zebrina Beer ex Hook., Billbergia canterae André

  • Description

    Description - Leaves about 6 in a tubular rosette, to 1 m long, usually white-banded; sheath large but not much broader or darker than the blades and thus obscure, entire; blades recurved, ligulate, broadly acute, rigid, to 8 cm wide, laxly serrate with broad spines to 4 mm long, covered with minute appressed whitish scales. Scape decurved, pale-flocculose; scape-bracts large and massed beneath the inflorescence, lanceolate, acute, entire, papyraceous, rose. Inflorescence pendulous, simple, subdense, many-flowered, 15-40 cm long, white-farinose except the petals; rhachis straight. Floral bracts minute, hidden by the indument; flowers suberect, 7-8 cm long. Sepals slightly asymmetric, oblong, truncate, 8 mm long; petals spirally recurved, linear, acute, at first green then yellow, bearing 2 fimbriate scales at base; stamens elongate, anthers narrower than the filaments; ovary turbinate, bearing thick dark glabrous longitudinal folds near apex, the epigynous tube large; placentae subapical; ovules acute.

  • Distribution

    Epiphytic, 15-30 m alt, southeastern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, northeastern Argentina.

    Brazil South America| Minas Gerais Brazil South America| Rio de Janeiro Brazil South America| Guanabara Brazil South America| São Paulo Brazil South America| Paraná Brazil South America| Santa Catarina Brazil South America| Rio Grande do Sul Brazil South America| Paraguay South America| Argentina South America| Misiones Argentina South America|