Tillandsia tomasellii De Luca, Sabato & Balduzzi[as Tillandsia tomasellii De Luca, Sabato & Balduzzi]

Diagnose: —Acaulis, florifera 60-80 cm vel ultra alta. Folia rigidula, rosulata, cretacea; vaginae suborbiculatae, ad 6 cm longae; laminae lanceolato-subulatae, 50 cm vel ultra longae, basi 5-6 cm latae, regulariter revolutae, densissime subappresse lepidotae. Scapus erectus, validus, glaber , basi foliis imbricatis indutus. Inflorescentia bipinnatim paniculata, ad 50 cm longa, spicis 25-30 vel ultra; bracteae primariae pallide erubescentes, ovatae, inflatae, subappresse lepidotae, inferiores lamina subulata praeditae, superiores acuminatae; spicae 10-12 cm vel ultra longae, erectae vel suberectae, lanceolatae, 1.5 cm latae, 2-3-florae, rachi glabro et 4-5 prophyllis breviter mucronatis carinatisque praeditae; bracteae florigerae 3-4 cm longae, lanceolatae, erectae, mucronatae, carinatae, rigidae, glabrae, margine hyalinae, virides vel levissime erubescentes, rachim obtegentes, sepala superantes. Flores erecti, 5 cm longi; sepala 2-3 cm longa, lineari-lanceolata, acuta, glabra, pallide viridia, postica carinata atque longe connata; petala violacea, erecta, tubum angustum formantia, quam stamina stylusque breviora.

Observations: —Tillandsia tomasellii, according to Prof. Lyman B. Smith (pers. comm.), is related to T. xerographica Rohweder and to T. fasciculata Swartz on the basis of its carinate posterior sepals. It is different from T. fasciculata (Mez, 1935; Smith, 1958; Swartz, 1788) because its leaves are more cretaceous-coated, its spikes are few-flowered and smaller, its inflorescence is denser and much longer; and from T. xerographica (Rauh, 1970; Rohweder, 1953) because it is larger, its inflorescence is denser and much longer, its spikes are more numerous, its flowers and its floral bracts are smaller, its primary bracts are very pale pink and not yellow-red.
These differences have been confirmed by our observations made on living specimens of Tillandsia fasciculata collected in 1971 by us in many localities of Central Mexico and of T. xerographica collected in 1974 by us in Los Cobanos, El Salvador.

Edited from : Lasser & Maguire 1950. (protologue) A Report On The Plants Of The Phelps Cerro Yavi Expedition Of 1947 .