Tillandsia complanata Benth.
Literature references:
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Comments:
- LOCAL NAME. Guicho (Venezuela-Bernardi 212).
from Gilmartin 1972: There seem to be three forms of T. complanata that blend into one another;
1) a coastal form represented by smaller plants with floral bracts and sepals having their apices narrowly acute, and sepals posteriorly united;
2) a middle altitude form represented by larger plants, with leaves long and broad, sepals ovate-elliptic;
3) a very high altitude form, a smaller plant with narrow leaves, sepals free and tending to be oblong and obtuse.
Examples of form 1) are;: Eggers 14055 (US), Rauh, Hirsch E 238 (US) AJG 644 (US) and . AJG 682 (US).
Examples of form 2) are: AJG 798 (US), Hitchcock 21671 (US) Camp E, 1753 (US), AJG 787 (US), Foster 2649 (US).
Examples of form 3) are: Camp E 3957A and 13 (US), Hitchcock 21562 (US), Schimpff 887 (US), Barclay and Juajibioy 8373 (US), and Rimbach 282 (US). Although these three different forms can be recognized, no attempt here is made to describe them as separate taxa.
From the observations of the specimens seen, it appears likely that the so-called simple axial inflorescences of T. complanata are actually spikes of a compound inflorescence with the scape foreshortened so that it never grows to the point of being macroscopically recognizable. In some specimens several "inflorescences" appeared in the same leaf axil as for example with Rivet 687, Schimpff 887 and Camp E 3947. These fascicles of "inflorescences" are probably really spikes with elongate, bracteate stipes. Other specimens, especially the coastal ones, seem to have no more than one "inflorescence," that is, spike, per leaf axil. Support for this idea of a pseudo-simple inflorescence is obtained from the relative lengths of the bracts. In T. complanata what have always been called scape-bracts are often imbricate above but remote below and are approximately all the same length. This is not the usual situation in species of the genus, Tillandsia. Usually scape-bracts are much longer below and imbricate; becoming shorter toward the inflorescence where they may not be imbricate. If we recognize the so-called inflorescences of T. omplanata as spikes then the scape-bracts are in reality sterile floral bracts which typically do become closer to one another acropetally. The character of a foreshortened scape is held consistently throughout all forms of Tillandsia complanata that have been observed to date.
- Culture and use: Interesting species because it produces multiple axillary inflorescences and the leaves become purple-red in bloom when grown bright and not to warm, it demands high humidity. —See Gouda 1987
