Was Vriesea elata
Now Cipuropsis elata (Baker) Kessous & A.F.Costa
(See DD02/17: for all new (DNA resolved) species & Cultivars.)
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Cipuropsis elata
Species. Colombia, Venezuela.
Sharon Song 07/10 at Allan Ladd's.
J&N Rehak, BS NSW Show 05/12.


Vriesea elata (Baker) L. B. Smith, Phytologia 5: 288. 1955.
Tillandsia elata Baker, Jour. Bot. London 26: 46. 1888.
Tillandsia exaltata Mez, DC. Monogr. Phan. 9: 766. 1896. Type. Amalfi, Antioquia, Colombia, Lehmann xxv (G. GH photo; US), 23 Sep 1884.
Tillandsia excelsa Mez (wrongly attributed to Wittmack), DC. Monogr. Phan. 9: 766. 1896; nomen in synon.

Desc from S&D
Plant stemless, flowering about 2 m high.
Leaves 4-10 dm long;
Sheaths elliptic, 1-3 dm long, subdensely lepidote with pale appressed brown-centered scales;
Blades linear, acute with a subulate apex, 4-7 cm wide, glabrous above.
Scape erect, over 15 mm in diameter, glabrous;
Scape-bracts closely imbricate, lanceolate, acute with a subulate apex, thin.
Inflorescence laxly pyramidal, amply tripinnate, red except the petals;
Primary bracts like the scape-bracts, exceeding the bracteate sterile bases of the branches;
Secondary bracts half as long as the spikes or less;
Spikes subsessile, lanceolate, acute, strongly complanate, 4-14 cm long.
Floral bracts imbricate but exposing the alate rhachis and much of the sepals, oblong, acute, 20-23 mm long, incurved, sharply carinate, thin, strongly nerved, glabrous;
Flowers subsessile.
Sepals lanceolate, 15-20 mm long, posteriorly short-connate, thin, carinate;
Petals linear, 25 mm long, white or yellow;
Stamens included.
Type. Purdie s n (holotype K, US photo), Valle Dupar, Santa Marta, Magdalena, Colombia.
DISTRIBUTION. Epiphytic in rainforest, 1200-2100 m alt, Colombia.
COLOMBIA. MAGDALENA: Santa Marta, 1898-1901, H. H. Smith 2345 (F, GH, PH, US); jul 1932, Seifriz 84 (PENN); 602-A (PENN); 3 Aug 1946. Foster & Smith 1396 (COL, GH); Cerro Bandera, 1932. Giacometto 62 (US); La Cebolleta to Verba Buena, Jan-Feb 1959, Barclay & Juajibioy 6821 (COL, US). NORTE DE SANTANDER: Rio Negro to Quebrada La China, Santa Librada. 10 Nov 1941, Cuatrecasas 12959 (COL); Ocaila, 20 Sep 1946, Foster 1753 (COL, GH, US). ANTIOQUIA: Valdivia to Varumal, 20 Feb 1942, Metcalf & Cuatrecasas 30107 (GH, UC, US); Paramitos, Nariilo, 3 Jan 1949, Uribe-Uribe 1863 (COL). CAQUETA: Cajon de Pulido, Rio Hacha, 26 Mar 1940, Cuatrecasas 8763 (COL, US); Sucre, 4 Apr 1940, Cuatrecasas 9060 (COL).

From Mez 1935
Key
Spikes about ovate-elliptic => 183. T. elata
Spikes lanceolate => 184. T. exaltata

183. T. elata Bak. in Journ. Bot. XXVI. (1888) 46.
Plurimetralis. Folia ad 0.9 m longa et 50 mm lata, linearia, apice triangulo-acuta in spinam valide pungentem terminalem desinentia, superne saltem omnino glabra.- Scapus ignotus. Inflorescentia myriantha, amplissime 3-pinnatim panniculata, 0.8 m vel ultra longa, basi certe 0.2 m diam. metiens, perelongate pyramidata; ramis suberectis, usque ad 0.2 m longis, spicas sessiles stricte erectas 7-3 gerentibus; bracteis primariis ex ovato-elliptico acutis, chartaceis, inferioribus ramulos axillares fere dimidio aequantibus; spicis 8-10-floris, subflabellatis, ovato-ellipticis, quam maxima complanatis, sessilibus, ad 45 mm longis, 20 mm latis, peracutis; bracteis florigeris erectis, imbricatis, acute carinatis, sepala longe superantibus, glabris, prominenti-venosis, acutis et in aciculam terminalem permanifestam desinentibus. Flores erecti, glabri; sepalis antico libero, posticis ad 2-3 mm connatis, coriaceis, carinatis, prominenti-venosis, lanceolatis, longe acutis, ad 20 mm longis. Petala sepalis ad 5 mm longiora.
Colombia: Sierra Nevada de Sta. Marta (Purdie, A. Schultze n. 692, H. H. Smith n. 2345).

184. T. exaltata Mez in DC. Monogr. Phaner. IX. (1896) 766.
T. excelsa Wittm. (nec Bak.) in Englers Bot. Jahrb. XI. (l890) 66.
Metralis vel ultra. Folia ad 0.6 m longa et 48 mm lata, linearia, apice acuminulo imposito rotundate acuta, subglabra. Scapus erectus, vaginis foliaceis dense indutus. Inflorescentia myriantha, amplissime 3-pinnatim panniculata, folia longe superans, pyramidalis, ad 0.6 m longa et 0.25 m diam. metiens, laxiuscula; ramulis suberectis, inferioribus ad 0.17 m longis a medio spicas ad 4 suberectas gerentibus; bracteis primariis subovalibus, acuminatim acutis, ramuli axillaris spicam infimam attingentibus; spicis ad 7-floris, flabellatis, sublanceolatis, subsessilibus, complanatis; bracteis florigeris laxe imbricatim sibi incumbentibus, acute carinatis, sepala manifeste superantibus, per anthesin ad 5 mm distantibus, submembranaceis, glabris, valde prominenti-venosis, praesertim summis apice incurvis, acutis minuteque mucronulatis, ad 23 mm longis. Flores erecti, ad 25 mm longi; sepalis antico libero, posticis ad 1 mm connatis, submembranaceis, glabris et prominenti-venosis, vix carinatis, ovalilanceolatis, acutis, ad 16 mm longis. Petala sepalis fere 9 mm longiora, alba, stamina manifeste superantia.
Colombia: Prov. Antioquia, bei Amalfi (Lehmann n. XXV.)

Updated 28/01/24