Tillandsia prodigiosa (Lem.) Baker

Tillandsia prodigiosa (Lemaire) Baker, Handb Bromel. 186. 1889.
Vriesea prodigiosa Lemaire. 111. Hortic. 16: Misc. 92. 1869. Tillandsia Cossoni Baker, Jour. Bot. 25: 279. 1887.
Stemless, over 6 dm. high; leaves densely rosulate, 5 dm. long; sheaths distinct, elliptic or ovate-oblong, about 15 cm. long, dark-brown, very densely and minutely brown-lepidote; blades narrowly triangular, acuminate, 4—6 cm. wide, pale-appressed-lepidote especially below; scape erect, stout, equaling the leaves; scape-bracts erect, very densely imbricate, foliaceous, the upper ones sometimes tinged with red ; inflorescence compound with simple branches, subcylindric, usually dense, 3-6 dm. long, 10-15 cm. in diameter; primary bracts ovate, acuminate, exceeding the lower axillary spikes, densely and finely appressed-lepidote; spikes suberect to spreading, sessile or with a short stout naked stipe, broadly ovate or elliptic, strongly complanate, densely 10-12-flowered with a few sterile bracts at base, 5-9 cm. long, 3-5 cm. wide; floral bracts erect, densely imbricate and concealing the rhachis, ovate, acuminate, sharply carinate, 30-35 mm. long, 24 mm. wide, equaling or exceeding the sepals, coriaceous, faintly nerved, glabrous or lepidote; flowers short-pedicellate; sepals lanceolate, acuminate, 3 cm. long, coriaceous, prominently nerved, glabrous, the posterior ones short-connate; petals linear, tubular-erect, 5 cm. long, violet; stamens and pistil exserted.
Type locality: Mexico. Distribution: Southern Mexico.