Billbergia velascana Cárdenas[as Billbergia velascana ]

Diagnose: —Phanerophyta ( Helicodea ) pulcher¬rima, 60 cm alta. Folia rigida, rosu¬lata, compresa; lamina ligulata abrupte acuta 60 cm long., 20-50 mm lata minute spinosa, cinereo viridia, trans¬verso albido maculata. Scapus 40 cm longus, 8mm crassus, denso floccu¬losus; bracteae lanceolatae 16-19 cm longus, roseae. Inflorescentia simplex, curvata, multiflora. Bractea florigera ovata, acuta, 8 mm longa, membran¬cacea, rosea. Flores sessiles, 6-8 cm long. Sepala ovatolanceolata 12 mm longa, inferne viridi, superne viola¬ceibus, glabra, flocculosa. Petala 5 cm longa, lineare lanceolata 6 mm lata coerulea, 2 squama alba ad basin praedita. Stamina 5 cm long., fila¬menta diluto coerulea, antherae fili¬formia, 2 cm longae, undulatae. Stylus 5 cm longus, atro coeruleus. Ovarium ovato conicum 12 mm longum, trigonum, sulcatum, albo flocculosum. Bolivia. Provinci Velasco. Departmenti Santa Cruz. Prope divi Ignati, 500 m.

Observations: —This is the third species of Billbergia found in Bolivia. This is related to B. Cardenasii L. B. Smith. It differs, how¬ever, by its stouter habit, more dense spines on blade borders, less densely flowered in¬florescence, longer flowers, narrower sepals, ovate and narrower cobalt blue petals.

Edited from : Brom Soc Bull 7(3): 35-6.. (1957)