Specimen of Pitcairnia orchidifolia Mez do key out to Pitcairnia platypetala Mez in Smith & Downs 1974. Rauh based his diagnose of Pitcairnia grafii on this species, which is conspecific with Pitcairnia orchidifolia Mez (personal communication with EG)
Pitcairnia grafii is a very attractive plant with soft leaves as in P. tabuliformis. It grows like this species at about 1,000 m altitude near a waterfall. With age, the old, basal leaves die but they are not thrown off at a transverse line. —SeeRauh 1988bp. 38(4): 161-163, 145