Tillandsia ixioides, Floral

Rossado, Andrés J., Donadío, Sabina & Bonifacino, José M., 2024, A taxonomic revision of Tillandsia (Tillandsioideae, Bromeliaceae) from Uruguay, Phytotaxa 667 (1), pp. 1-90 : 1-90

- Floral bracts chartaceous, bladeless or with a very short blade not clearly differentiated from the sheath; flowers strongly fragrant; pedicels of basal flowers conspicuous, at least 4.5 mm long; petals yellow; stamens with straight filaments ............. 7. T. ixioides Floral bracts membranaceous, the basal ones with the blade developed and clearly differentiated from the sheath; flowers scentless; pedicels inconspicuous, less than 3 mm long; petals white, lilac, or purple; stamens with a plicate portion at the apical half of the filament ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 11 Sepals with trichomes towards the apex, evenly connate for less than 1.4 mm (sometimes appearing free); trichomes of the floral bract deeply dentate; petals white......................................................................................................................... 12. T. recurvifolia * Sepals glabrous, connate for more than 1.4 mm (at least the adaxial ones); trichomes of the floral bracts inconspicuously dentate (sometimes appearing entire); petals purple to lilac (rarely white) .................................................................................................12. Floral bracts stronglY clasping the basal half of the flower; sepals unequallY connate, the adaxial ones connate bY more than ⅔ of their length; petal limb more than 4 mm wide; peduncle bracts without trichomes at the margins ........................ 1. T. aëranthos * Floral bracts inflated; sepals evenlY connate bY less than ⅓ of their length; petal limb less than 4 mm wide; peduncle bracts with trichomes at the margins ................................................................................................................................................ 13. T. stricta Leaf blades up to 30 mm long; basal floral bracts up to 10 mm long; all sepals ecarinate; petals yellow; fruits much exceeding the floral bract ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 14 Leaf blades more than 30 mm long; basal floral bracts more than 20 mm long; adaxial sepals carinate; petals white; fruits shorter or barely exceeding the floral bract ................................................................................................................................................ 15 Plants acaulescent; leaf blades channelled; peduncle lepidote; rachis lepidote; fruits more than 20 mm long ............ 8. T. loliacea Plants conspicuously caulescent; leaf blades not channelled (adaxial face flat-convex to convex); peduncle glabrous; rachis glabrous; fruits up to 20 mm long .......................................................................................................................... 14. T. tricholepis Basal floral bracts at least 55 mm long; sepals more than 31 mm long; petals at least 85 mm long, limbs at least 17 mm wide, margins undulate and strongly crenate-serrate; flowers strongly fragrant .............................................................. 18. T. xiphioides Basal floral bracts up to 51 mm long; sepals up to 31 mm long; petals less than 70 mm long, limbs up to 17 mm wide, margins not or little undulate and softly crenate; flowers scentless or softly fragrant ....................................................................................... 16 Leaf blades spreading to reflexed, flat (or nearly so) at the base; sepals reaching ¾ or more of the floral bract; petal limbs (7,5–) 11–17 mm wide; flowers softly fragrant ........................................................................................................... 2. T. arequitae Leaf blades erect to divergent, strongly channelled at the base; sepals reaching from ½ to a little less than ¾ of the floral bract; petal limbs 5.7–10.5 mm wide; flowers scentless ...................................................................................................... 15. T. uruguayensis

*Natural hybrids occur between T. aëranthos and T. recurvifolia (see Table 2 and Diagnostic characters of T. × marchesii to differentiate T. aëranthos or T. recurvifolia from the hybrid).