Tillandsia brealitoensis    L Hromradnik               Pl. Syst. Evol. 147:280 (1984)

 

Plant- epiphytic, caulescent, few branched, stem up to 10 cm long.

Leaves- densely polystichous, short, erect, acute, up to 15 mm long.

Leaf sheath- to 7 mm wide at base, clasping the stem, nerved, lepidote and glabrous towards base, 5 mm long, merging with blade.

Leaf blade- narrow triangular, 10 mm long, thick succulent, acute, dense appressed lepidote, grey.

Scape- 15 to 30 mm long, 1 mm diameter, glabrous, the base with one densely lepidote, membranaceous bract.

Inflorescence- 1 to 2 flowered.

Floral bracts- lepidote, 9 to 12 nerved, 7.6 to 11.6 mm long, 4.8 to 6.8 mm wide, membranaceous, oval-triangular.

Sepals- lepidote, membranaceous, 6 to 8 nerved, the two inmost nerves join the mid nerve towards the top of the sepal, sepals equally connate for 2 to 3 mm, 7.6 to 10 mm long, 2.8 to 3.9 mm wide.

Petal- lingulate, 9.9 to 12 mm long, 2.4 to 3 mm wide, tip rounded violet up to dark violet.

Stamen and Gynoecium- enclosed.

Filament- pale, one nerved, 3.5 to 4.8 mm long.

Anther- orange, 1.5 to 2.1mm long, 0.35 to 0.55 mm diameter.

Pollen- similar color to anther.

Style- one third as long as the ovary (approx. 1 mm).

Stigma- conspicuous.

Ovary- 2.8 to 4 mm long, 1.9 to 2.5 mm wide.

 

Habitat- epiphytic in bushes associated with T. gilliesii ssp. polysticha, T. hirta, T. aizoides, and T. cotagaitensis.

 

Holotype- Argentina, Salta, Valle Calchaquies, on the road to Brealito, 2350 m, 21 July 1981, leg H&L Hromadnik  HR71526 (WU)

 

Differs from T. angulosa by

1.     Distinct stem

2.     Leaves erect

3.     Scape clearly visible

4.     Petal color

 

Differs from T. aizoides by

1.     Lepidote bracts

2.     Lepidote sepals.