Vriesea rubrobracteata Rauh

Taxonomic Change:

• Probably conspecific with Tillandsia schimperiana Wittm. (personal communication with E.J. Gouda)

Literature references:

Betancur 2001b: 136* Die Bromelie: 2001:92 FCBS (Web) J. Bromeliad Soc.: 29:193,213 Padilla 1981: 47 Rauh 1979a: 27:15 U.S. Nat. Herb.

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Comments:

• General notes
  On our trip in 1975 through Colombia and Ecuador, in southern Colombia, near Pasto (Prov. Marino) on the Atlantic side of the Andes at an altitude of 2800 m, and also in central Ecuador on the way to Baeza, we found a beautiful terrestrial bromeliad. We at first supposed it to be a tillandsia, but an analysis of the petals showed us that it was a vriesea, for the petals bear lingulae near their base. Since it is impossible for us to determine the plant by the Vriesea Key of Lyman B. Smith, and since there are only a few green leaved species of vriesea in Ecuador, we decided to describe our plant as a new species. On account of its bright red petals we called it Vriesea rubro-bracteata. —See J. Bromeliad Soc.