About Wallisia
Wallisia is a genus in subfamily Tillandsioideae of the bromeliad family, comprising four species and one hybrid separated from Tillandsia in the 2016 revision of the subfamily. It ranges from Central America to northern South America, including Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, and the plants are epiphytes. From a rosette of thin leaves they produce a flat, paddle-shaped inflorescence of pink bracts with violet-blue flowers. Wallisia cyanea, the pink quill, formerly Tillandsia cyanea, has long been grown as a houseplant.
A medium-sized epiphytic bromeliad forming stemless rosettes up to 50 cm wide. The narrow, recurved leaves are dark green with reddish-brown striations at the base. The distinctive paddle-shaped inflorescence features densely packed rose-pink bracts up to 16 cm long, from which fragrant violet-blue flowers emerge successively. The species name "cyanea" refers to the deep blue color of the flowers. Formerly classified as Tillandsia cyanea, it was reassigned to Wallisia in 2016 based on phylogenetic analysis.
Scientific Name
Wallisia
Family