Tillandsia tenuifolia L.

Literature references:

Baensch & Baensch 1994: 184 Baker 1852: 87:5229 Bradea: 1:79 Brom. J. Queensl.: 40(1):26 Bromtravels (Web) BSA (Web) Bull. Soc. Bot. Geneve: 262d Castellanos 1945: 87 Die Bromelie: 1991:14d FCBS (Web) Golinski 1997 Gouda 1987: 110 Gross 1992: 81 H. Witte 1859-1860: 3:49 Hooker, W.J. 1823-1827: 2:154 Ibisch & Vasquez 2000 Iheringia: 51(1):33 Isley III 1987: 131-135,118: 118,-4118 J. Bromeliad Soc.: 15:11b 24:125b 33:110 48:145 55:222 58:223 Labuda Till.-cal.: 1992

Luther & Sieff 1994: 15:104h Machado & Neto 2010: 117 Mak 1996: 28 Morren Icons: kew 12-334* NY Bot. Garden Oliva-Esteve & Steyermark 1987: 255 Rauh 1979c: pl.46 Rauh 1981, 1990: Farbb. 46 Reitz 1983: 78 Richter 1962, 1978: 254,311,345c,365 Roguenant 2001: 685 Röth & Weber 1991: 169c Shimizu & Takizawa 1998: 92 Shimizu 1992: 29 Siqueira & Leme 2006: 337 Smith & Downs 1977: 834 Steyermark & Huber 1978: 68 Takizawa 1998 Tropiflora Cargo Rep: 17(2) Vellozo 1829: 3:127

Vidal 1996: 29 Wanderly & Martins 2007: 125 Wendt 2010: 44 Zimmer 1986: 94,116b

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Comments:

• Key to T. tenuifolia group by E Gouda Jan 2002
  
  1.Spikes excluding petals 1.8-2.5 cm long. Petals 1.6 cm long. Filaments adnate to the
  petals T. pardoi
  1. Spikes 2.5-5.5 cm long. Petals 2-3.3 cm long. Filaments free 2
  2. Sheaths very broadly ovate. Sepals oblong T.cocoense
  2. Sheaths deltoid. Sepals lanceolate 3
  
  3. Leaves 7-15 cm long. Spikes subdensely flowered. Floral-bracts just
  exceeding the sepals T. tenuifolia
  3. Leaves up to 7 cm long. Spikes laxly flowered. Floral-bracts much exceeding the
  sepals, to exceeding the sepals 4
  
  4. Plant caulescent clustering and forming dense rooting, single plant to 9 cm tall 5-6 cm in diameter, not dense. Floral-bracts much exceeding the sepals (ca. 1/4), the upper with very few scales near the apex. T. hofackeri
  4. Plant long caulescent with enlarged apices which fix them to rocks, flowering 15-30 cm tall, dense. Floral-bracts exceeding the sepals, glabrous T. araujei
• Key to the Varieties of Tillandsia tenuifolia
  1. Leaf-blades flat near the base, merging gradually into the sheaths, usually equaling or exceeding the simple or few-branched stem.
  2. Plant not distinctly dorsi-ventral; leaves not completely secund. diverging from one
  another .
  3. Inflorescence shorter than the slender leaves; leaves scarcely or not at all secund.
  4. Flowers polystichous. var tenuifolia.
  4. Flowers polystichous, scape and inflorescence much smaller var. dungsiana.
  4. Flowers distichous. var disticha.
  3. Inflorescence exceeding the stout usually secund leaves. var surinamensis.
  3. Inflorescence exceeding the light green not secund leaves var strobiliformis
  2. Plant distinctly dorsi-ventral; leaves very densely ascending-secund with the blades
  closely approximate. var saxicola.
  1. Leaf-blades involute throughout and thus contrasting sharply with the sheaths, very slender, much shorter than the long branching stem, often spreading. var vaginata. —See Smith & Downs 1977
• Distribution: E. Venezuela and the Guyanas to Argentina. Epiphytic in mostly low dry forest, from near sea level to 2000 m alt.
  Culture and use: Very beautiful and decorative small species; easily grown as an epiphyte, in window and in greenhouse; demands a moderately humid and a bright location, can easily be propagated by seed, on vertical wire gauze. —See Gouda 1987