2. Leaves many, spreading, recurved, forming an almost globose rosette; finely appressed lepidote, green; sheaths scarcely distinct, green to dark green; inflorescence globose; sepals shortly connate, fine lepidote; petals white; Argentina and southern Bolivia
T. schreiteri
2. Leaves not so many; leaf blades, scape bracts and primary bracts grey, stiff, almost
succulent; sheaths brown; sepals glabrous or nearly so; Bolivia 3
3. Leaves spreading, forming a rosette; scape decurved, sheaths of the upper scape bracts and primary bracts rose-violet to reddish; sepals glabrous or nearly so, posterior connate
( 1-3 mm), petals violet to purple with spreading plate
T. sphaerocephala var. sphaerocephala
3. Leaves not so many, erect, often reddish-violet, forming a narrow funnel; scape erect, inflorescence nodding, red, smaller T. sphaerocephala var. tarijensis
3. Leaves not so many, strongly secund, scape curved, primary bracts & floral bracts shiny red T. imporaensis
1. Leaves thin, rather soft, finely appressed lepidote and therefore appearing gray-green to silvery, less canaliculate, outside subcarinate, erect, forming a narrow, sometimes secund rosette; blades narrowly triangular, filiform subulate towards apex; sheaths very large, when dry prominently nerved, dark brown to black; scape bracts and primary bracts carmine red, flower bracts punctulate lepidote; sepals membranaceous and up to 2.5 cm long; petals purple T. calochlamys —SeeSmith & Downs 1977
