Tillandsia achyrostachys É. Morren ex Baker

Tillandsia achyrostachys Iv. Morren; Baker Handb Bromel. 171. 1889.
Plant stemless, 2-4 dm. high; leaves densely rosulate, 20-27 cm. long, very densely and finely appres.scd-cinereous-lcpidote throughout; sheaths erect, sublriangular, elongate, merging insensibly into the blade; blades usually curved-spreading, very narrowly triangular, filiformacuminate, 1 cm. wide, flat; scape erect; scape-bracts erect, densely imbricate, the lower foliaceous, the upper broadly elliptic, filiform-caudate or apiculate, chartaceous, densely lepidote; inflorescence simple, densely distichous-flowered or sometimes the lower flowers polystichous (Mez!), linear in outline, acute, 1-2 dm. long, terete or subterete at anthesis, S-I5 mm. in diameter, glabrous; floral bracts erect, densely imbricate, ovate, acute, 3-4 cm. long, exceeding the sepals, three to four times as long as the internodes, ecarinate, chartaceous, closely and strongly nerved, bright-red; flowers sessile; sepals lanceolate, acuminate, up to 26 mm. long, carinate, membranaceous, prominently nerved, short-connate posteriorly; petals tubular-erect, 45 mm. long, ligulate, obtuse, yellow; stamens and pistil exserted; capsule slenderly ellipsoid, abruptly short-beaked, barely exceeding the sepals.
Type locality: "Mexico"; described from cultivation. Distribution: Jalisco, Guanajuato, Morelos, Oaxaca, and Vera Cruz.

Tillandsia achyrostachys, Morren and Baker, 1889.

Name: straw-eared, refers to the wrinkled cover leaves.

Shape: stemless, 40 cm high with a flower stalk, the leaves forming an erect rosette.

Leaf bases: oblong-ovate, 2-3 cm wide, 4-6 cm long, gray scaly.

Leaves: erect, slightly curved at the top, narrow lanceolate, 20 cm long and 2 cm wide, above the base.

Flower stalk: upright bare 15 cm long, 3 to 5 mm wide.

Inflorescence: simple ear, flattened on both sides, 15 to 20 cm long and 2 cm wide.

Cover leaves: densely potted, oval, pointed, 4 cm long, 2 cm wide, membranous, ashy, red or greenish red.

Flowers: upright, indoors, 4-6 cm long, green.

Cup leaves: lanceolate, long, pointed.

Petals: form a narrow tube, 4 cm long.

Anthers: protruding from the flower.

Distribution: Mexico, up to 2000 m.

Treatment: moderate water but not too dry, light shade.

Other: reminiscent of a small T. califann in a flowering state.