Guzmania monostachia
in A. L. P. de Candolle and C. de Candolle, Monographiae Phanerogamarum 9: 905. 1896 (as monostachya).
Plants flowering to 4 dm high. Leaves many, rosulate, spreading, 30–40 cm; sheath pale or darkened toward base, ovate; blade ligulate, acute. Inflorescences: scape central, erect, shorter than leaves; bracts imbricate, erect; inflorescences densely many-flowered, erect, simple, cylindric, to 15 cm; floral bracts imbricate, most proximal bracts (fertile) pale green, striped dark green or reddish, distal bracts (mostly sterile) rose, salmon or nearly white [red or orange in tropical America], ovate, to 2.5 cm, acute. Flowers: sepals basally connate, green, symmetric, 1.4–1.6 cm; petals very slightly spreading, adherent for most of length, white, without petal appendages, 2.2–2.5 cm, apex obtuse; stamens included, filaments subadnate to petals; stigma included, simple-erect. Fruits 2–3 cm.
Distribution
Fla., Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America.
Discussion
Florida plants of this taxon appear to be self fertilizing.
Varieties 3 (2 in the flora).
Selected References
None.
Key
| 1 | Leaf blade of one color | Guzmania monostachia var. monostachia |
| 1 | Leaf blade longitudinally green-and-white striped | Guzmania monostachia var. variegata |