MainDescriptionReferencesPicturesPlate

Tillandsia retrorsa A.Silveira  diagnose  table
; 0 root fibres dark brown in new specimens, when adult often none; 1 stem ascending, the upper part erect, simple or branched, clustering, forming more or less extensive colonies, about 5–8 mm thick, up to 50 cm long. leaves triangular, 25–30 cm long; sheath almost enclosing the stem; blade very long subulate, spreading at almost 90º, above concave channelled, both sides dense lepidote, in the lower part the lepidotes are long ligulate, the lower ones are without a point or ligulate, the ligules below are recurved pointing backwards, above appressed, 2 cm wide at base, 1 cm wide at the middle. inflorescence many flowered, made of a panicle with branches often with 3–4 distinct bracts; peduncle bracts the sheaths totally enclose the peduncle, lanceolate at the base, the upper part long linear-subulate, pale green, the outside lepidote, decreasing in length to the top; floral bracts ovate, acute. flowers not seen. fruits cylindric, acute, 3 cm long; seeds fusiform, many, brown, the tip caudate, tails 2 mm long, at the base silky white hairy nipple-like coma to 20 mm long.

Edited from : Floralia Montium 2: 25-26. (1931)