Tillandsia ionantha


Tillandsia ionantha, the sky plant, is a species in the genus Tillandsia. This species is native to Central America and Mexico. It is also reportedly naturalized in Broward County, Florida.

Description

They are acaulescent or sometimes shortly caulescent plants, with a size of 6–8 cm high. The leaves 4–9 cm long; with pods 0.6–1 cm wide, densely patent fabric; narrow triangular sheets, 0.3-0.4 cm wide, dense lepidota indument, foliaceous bracts; compound inflorescence, with 1-3 flowers, primary foliaceous bracts, much longer than the spikes, floral bracts 3 cm long, longer than the sepals and covering them in the anthesis, ecarinated, inconspicuously nervate, glabrous, membranous, sessile flowers; sepals are 2 cm long, free, the posterior carinate, the anterior ecarinated; purple petals. Capsules are 2.5-4.5 cm long.

Taxonomy

Tillandsia ionantha was described by Jules Emile Planchon and published in Flore des Serres et des Jardins de l'Europe 10: 101, t. 1006. 1854-1855 .
Etymology


Synonymy
Two varieties are recognized:
  1. Tillandsia ionantha var. ionantha - most of species range
  2. Tillandsia ionantha var. stricta Koide - Oaxaca

    Cultivars