Tillandsia gilliesii ssp. polysticha W. Till & L. Hromradnik  Pl. Syst. Evol. 145:279-288 (1984)

 

Plant- epiphytic, caulescent, branched, flowering up to 20 cm high.

Leaf- polystichous, rarely more or less distichous, edges of the leaves partly fused together.

Leaf sheath- membranaceous, ovate, nerved, enclosing the stem.

Leaf blade- narrow triangular, dense appress lepidote, up to 50 mm long, above sheath up to 10 mm wide, succulent.

Scape- up to 10 cm long, dense lepidote.

Inflorescence- few flowered.

Flower- fragrant.

Flower bracts- dense lepidote, ovate, (10.1-) 15.4 (-22.8) mm long, 7.1 to 10 mm wide.

Sepal- sub free, to 3/4 lepidote, posterior pair carinate, ovate-lanceolate, tip somewhat obtuse, 7-9 nerved, 2 to 4 interior nerves joining with the middle one near the top of the sepal.

Petal- lingulate with wide rounded tip, (11.2-) 14.9 to 16.8 mm long, 3 to 3.9 mm wide, dark violet.

Stamen & Gynoecium- included.

Anther- orange, cylindric (2.1-) 3.2 to 3.9 mm long, 0.5 mm diameter.

Filament- pale, single nerved, inserted at the base of the anther, 5 to6.1 mm long.

Style- robust, 3.2 to 4.7 (-5.5) mm long.

Gynoecium- green 4.9 – 7 (-8.2) mm long, 2.4 to 3.2 mm diameter, ovate cylindric.

Ovary- twice as long as the style.

Capsule- cylindric up to 25 mm long.

 

Holotype- Argentina, Jujuy, Purmamarca, Quebrada de Humahuaca, 2350 m Aug. 1981 leg. H. and L. Hromradnik HR 7113 (WU).

 

Differs from type by

1. Leaves polystichous and narrow triangular.

2. Stem – manifest.

3. Distribution area different but joined with intermediate plants.