Tas. 8192. 
TILLANDSIA Brot. 
South America. 
BROMELIACEAE. - 
Trrpanpsta, Linn.; Benth. et Hook, f. Gen. Plant. vol. iii. p. 669; Mez in DC. 
Monogr. Phaner. vol. ix. p. 633. 
Tillandsia Blokii, Hort., Gard. Chron. 1898, vol. xxiii. p. 254; Journ. de la 
Soc. d’Hort. de France, 1898, vol. xx. p. 479 (nomen tantum); species ex 
affinitate 7. reginae, auctorum, a qua differt foliis latioribus rubro- 
maculatis, bracteis sanguineis, floribus minus divergentibus et petalis 
luteis biligulatis. 
Planta perennis, monocarpica, florigera circiter 2 m, alta, caule simplici crasso 
brevissimo. olia numerosa, densissime rosulata, crassa, coriacea, lineari- 
oblonga, usque ad 1 m. longa, infra medium circiter 15 cm. lata, apice 
abrupte longeque acuminata, integra, inermia, recurva, maculis rubro- 
purpureis ornata. Jnflorescentia terminalis, erecta, pinnatim paniculata, 
circiter 1°5 m. longa; scapus bracteis amplis coriaceis sanguineis ovato- 
acuminatis diu persistentibus vestitus; rami laterales circiter 14, quaqua- 
versi, curvati, recurvi, 20-30 cm. longi, flexuosi, sanguinei, usque ad 
12-flori. Bracteae florigerae ovatae, acutae, quam calyx dimidio breviores, 
sanguineae, calyci arcte appressae, persistentes. Flores distichi, breviter 
pedicellati, inter se 1°5-2 cm. distantes, circiter 10 cm. longi. Sepala 8, 
lanceolata, 4-5 cm. longa, acuta, sanguinea, coriacea, persistentia, capsulae 
longiori arcte appressa. Petala 3, linearia, circiter 10 cm. longa, acuta, intus 
basi ligulis binis dentatis instructa, cito marcescentia. Stamina 6, petala 
aequantia. Stylus trifidus, stamina vix excedens. Capsula (plane matura 
non visa) 3-locularis, oblonga, 5-6 em, longa, acuminata, subcarnosa, nitida; 
loculorum parietibus intus atro-purpureis nitidis. Semina numerosissima, 
cylindrico-clavata, ferruginea, cum cauda terminali demum in pilos dissoluta 
comiformi circiter 2 cm. longa, basi coma pilorum obversorum ex ovuli 
integumento dissoluto ornata; rhaphe valida, demum libera.—Vriesia 
Blokii, Hort. 
The species of Tillandsia (or Vriesia) of the group 
to which 7. Blokii belongs have been much confused, 
partly in consequence of authors attempting to identify 
different species with the very rude, diagrammatic figure of 
T. regina, Vell. (Fl. Flum., Ie. vol. iii. t. 142), partly from 
the fact that Lemaire figured (IIlustr. Hort. vol. xiv. t. 516) 
one species, the one generally accepted as 7. regina, and 
described another, the Vriesia imperialis, Morr. (V. Glazio- 
veana, Carr. in Rev. Hort. 1881, p. 50, with a coloured 
plate), partly also from differences of view as to specific limits. 
May, 1908, 
