Distribution and habitat: Neoregelia watersiana is a dweller of the canopy of the hygrophilous Atlantic Forest of the county of Santa Maria Madalena, northern Rio de Janeiro state. It forms dense clumps on the taller trees, about 1056 m elevation, in a mountainous region inside the limits of the State Parque of Desengano, which is known for the rich bromeliad flora with many endemic species. —SeeLeme & Kollmann 2013