Tillandsia albida Mez & Purpus

Tillandsia albida Mez & Purpus; Mez, Repert. Sp Nov. 14: 248. 1916.
Strongly caulescent, the flowering plant up to 4 dm. high; stem elongate, much branched; leaves densely polystichous-ranked, 12 cm. long, densely pale-cinereous-lepidote; sheaths merging imperceptibly into the blades; blades suberect to squarrose, narrowly triangular, longacuminate, channeled above but not convolute; scape terminal, erect, short but exceeding the leaves; scape-bracts densely imbricate, bright-red, white-lepidote; inflorescence 13 cm. long, 3 cm. wide, laxly 6-flowered; rhachis undulate, angled, glabrous, bright-red; floral bracts erect, not at all imbricate nor concealing the rhachis, elliptic, obtuse, up to 21 mm. long, coriaceous, nearly or quite even with a hyaline margin, ecarinate, especially the lower ones appressedlepidote; flowers erect, with short stout pedicels, 37 mm. long without the genitalia; sepals obtuse, 20 mm. long, coriaceous, glabrous, even, pale-green; petals greenishwhite, obtuse, tubularerect; stamens and pistil 5 mm. longer than the petals.
Type locality: Vicinity of Ixmiquilpan, Hidalgo, Mexico; described from cultivated material. Distribution: Known only from the type locality.