Billbergia morelii Brongn.

  • Authority

    Smith, Lyman B. & Downs, Robert J. 1979. Bromelioideae (Bromeliaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 14 (3): 1493-2142. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Bromeliaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Billbergia morelii Brongn.

  • Type

    Type. Porte in Morel Hortus s n (holotype, P; photo GH), cultivated from Bahia, Brazil, 1848.

  • Synonyms

    Billbergia moreliana Henfr., Billbergia glymiana de Vriese, Billbergia wetherelli Hook., Billbergia dubia Beer, Billbergia pulcherrima K.Koch & Bouché

  • Description

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    Description - Leaves 6-12 in a tubular rosette, wholly green and without spots, the outer much reduced, the inner to 75 cm long; sheaths large, ovate or elliptic, nearly concolorous with the blades, entire, appressed-lepidote; blades ligulate, broadly acute, apiculate, to 55 mm wide, subglabrous, subdensely serrate with spines 0.5-1.5 mm long. Scape decurved, slender, red, white-farinose; scape-bracts large, lance-ovate, acute, clear red, the upper more or less massed beneath the inflorescence. Inflorescence pendulous, simple, 10-30-flowered, to 15 cm long, densely white-farinose; rhachis usually almost straight. Lower floral bracts large and exceeding the flowers, like the scape-bracts, the upper small, shorter than the ovary; flowers spreading, very short-pedicellate, 5-6 cm long. Sepals asymmetric, oblong, rounded and emarginate to apiculate, 17 mm long, reddish; petals never spiral, linear, ca 5 cm long, dark blue toward apex, elsewhere pale green, bearing 2 fimbriate scales at base; stamens slightly shorter than the petals; ovary ellipsoid, epigynous tube short but evident.

  • Distribution

    Epiphytic, 480-800 m alt.

    Brazil South America| Bahia Brazil South America| Espirito Santo Brazil South America| Guanabara Brazil South America| São Paulo Brazil South America|