Tillandsia variegata Schlecht. in Linnaea 18:429. 1844, non Vell. 1827. Plant 2-3 dm. high. Leaves few in a bulbous rosette, to 5 dm. long, densely and finely pale-appressed-lepidote throughout, the margins at first ciliate with coarse scales; sheaths suborbicular, inflated, forming a pseudobulb 25-45 mm. thick, dark brown or purple with many large pale green often confluent spots; blades involute-subulate, filiform-acuminate, 3 mm. thick, contorted. Scape erect, slender. Scape-bracts foliaceous, imbricate. Inflorescence digitate from a few subequal spikes or rarely simple. Primary bracts subfoliaceous, concolorous, the broadly ovate sheath much shorter than the axillary spike, the linear blade often much exceeding it. Spikes erect to spreading, linear, acute, complanate, 6-8 cm. long, about 1 cm. wide, 5-to 8-flowered with 1-2 sterile bracts at base. Floral bracts erect, imbricate, ovate, acute, 20-28 mm. long, much exceeding the sepals, subcoriaceous, densely lepidote, nerved. Flowers subsessile. Sepals narrowly elliptic, obtuse, 12-15 mm. long, glabrous. Petals tubular-erect, 30-35 mm. long, violet. Stamens exserted. Capsule slenderly cylindric, 3 cm. long.
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