Viridantha rzedowskiana Hern.-Cárdenas, Espejo et López-Ferr.[as Viridantha rzedowskiana ]

Diagnose: —Plant saxicolous, stemless; rosette spherical in outline. Leaves recurvate; sheaths broadly oblong to square, 1.8-2 cm long, 1.5-1.7 cm wide; blades 4.5-6 mm wide. Inflorescence with 3-6 spikes; peduncle 1-2.5 cm long, 3.5-4 mm diameter; spikes narrowly elliptic, 3-4 cm long, 1-1.5 cm wide; floral bracts broadly ovate, 1.5-2 cm long, 1-1.2 cm wide; sepals ovate, 1-1.5 cm long, 4-6 mm wide.

Observations: —Viridantha rzedowskiana is similar to V. mauryana and V. teloloapanensis; However it differs from these in the shape and size of the leaf sheath (widely ovate to square, 1.8-2 cm long and 1.5-l. 8 cm wide), the width of the leaf blade (4.5-6 mm), the number (3-6) and the (3-4 cm) length of the spikes, the shape and size of the floral bracts (widely ovate, 1.5-2 cm long and 1-1.2 cm wide) and the shape and size of the sepals (ovate, 1-1.5 cm long and 4-6 mm wide). In addition, the rest of the known species of Viridantha bloom from January to May, which corresponds to the season dry in the country, while the species proposed here blooms during the months of September and October (table 2).

Translated by Derek Butcher & Eric Gouda from: Hernandez et al 2018. (protologue) Taxonomic revision of the genus Viridantha (Tillandsia subgenus Viridantha sensu stricto) .