Tillandsia variabilis Schltdl.

Tillandsia valenzuelana A. Rich, in Sagra, Hist Cuba 11: 267. 1850.
Platystachys Morilziana Beer. Bromel. 265, nomen. 1857.
Tillandsia Morilziana Klotzsch; Beer, Bromel. 265, hyponym. 1857.
Tillandsia laxa Griseb. Fl. Brit. W. Ind. 596. 1864.
Tillandsia Kunthiana "Gaud." Griseb. Nachr. Ges. Wiss. Gott. 1864: 15. 1865. Not T. Knnthiana
Gaud. 1846. Tillandsia brachypoda Baker, Jour. Bot. 25: 237. 1887. Tillandsia sublaxa Baker, Jour. Bot. 2S: 280. 1887. Tillandsia polystachya var. alba Wittm. Bot. Jahrb. 11: 65. 1889. Tillandsia Houzeavii E. Morren; Baker, Handb. Bromel. 188, as synonym. 1889. Tillandsia Purpusii Mez, Repert. Sp. Nov. 14: 251, in p;irt. 1916. Tillandsia domingensis Mez, Repert. Sp. Nov. 16: 73. 1919.
Stemless, 2-6 dm. high ; leaves numerous in a utriculate rosette, up to 4 dm. long, sometimes exceeding the inflorescence, the outer ones reduced to scale-like sheaths, very densely and finely appressed-cinereous-lepidote throughout, occasionally becoming glabrous above; sheaths large, ovate, concolorous with the blade; blades linear-triangular, acuminate, flat or slightly inroUed in drying, 10-25 mm. wide; scape central, erect or ascending, slender, glabrous; scape-bracts erect, imbricate, ovate, inflated, densely and finely cinereous-lepidote, pink or red, fading to olivaceous, at least the lower ones with linear subfoliaceous blades; inflorescence simple or pinnately compound with a few spikes; axes slender, soon glabrous; primary bracts like the upper scape-bracts, their sheaths much shorter than the axillary spikes but the elongate blades sometimes exceeding the lower ones; spikes divergent, oblong, acute, complanate, often rather lax, 6-17-flowered with the larger spikes usually in the simple inflorescences, especially the terminal spike with sterile bracts at base, 5-20 cm. long, 1-2 cm. wide; rhachis slender, angled, slightly flexuous; floral bracts erect or slightly divergent, mostly two to three times as long as the internodes, usually exposing the rhachis, elliptic-oblong, obtuse or apiculate, about 2 cm. long, 8 mm. wide, much exceeding the sepals, submembranaceous, prominently nerved, subglabrous, pink or red, usually drying to dull-olivaceous, ecarinate or sometimes carinate toward apex; flowers subsessile; sepals oblong, obtuse, more or less connate posteriorly; petals linear, acute, 3 cm. long, lilac or violet; stamens exserted, the filaments undulate near apex; capsule prismatic, abruptly acute, 3 cm. long.
Type locality: Cuba.
Distribution: Southern Florida and Greater Antilles; southern Mexico and Central America; also in Colombia, Venezuela, and Bolivia.