Tillandsia brachycaulos Schltdl.

Tillandsia brachycaulos Schlecht. Linnaea 18: 422. 1844
Tittandsia cryptantha Baker, Jour. Bot. 26: 142. 1888.
Tillandsia Bradeana Mez & Tonduz; Mez, Repert. Sp. Nov. 14: 252. 1916.
TiUandsia fiammea Mez, in Engler, Pflanzenreich 4": 478. 1935.
Stemless; leaves subrosulate, numerous, spreading to arching-decurved, often secund, 12-26 cm long, much exceeding the inflorescence, densely and finely appressed-Iepidotc; sheaths distinct, ovate, 3-5 cm. long, brown-lepidote; blades linear, filiform-acuminate, 8-20 mm. wide, flat or involute; scape short to none, erect, slender, glabrous; scape-bracts foliaceous, very densely imbricate, equaling or exceeding the inflorescence; inflorescence compound at base or appearing simple and polystichous-flowered by the reduction of the spikes to a single flower each, densely capitate or subcorymbose, few-flowered; primary bracts like the scape-bracts with long foliaceous blades many times exceeding the axillary spikes; spikes 1-flovvered or 2-flowered with a few sterile bracts at base; floral bracts lanceolate or oblong, obtuse, about equaling the sepals, membranaceous, prominently nerved, glabrous; flowers erect, sessile; sepals narrowly elliptic, obtuse, 12-17 mm. long, membranaceous, free or the posterior ones much connate even in the same spike; petals linear, 5-7 cm. long, tubular-erect, %-iolet; stamens and pistil exserted; capsule cylindric, acute, 4 cm. long.
Type locality: Hacienda de la Lagima [Vera Cruz]. Distribution: Southern Mexico and Central America.