This started about 10 years ago when Mick Romanowski talked about this variegated Tillandsia viridiflora he had that flowered with a branched inflorescence and not like the single inflorescence of his 'normal' T. viridiflora. I assured him not to worry because the description in Smith & Downs said the inflorescence could be either simple or branched.

In 2007 I heard rumblings from Renate Ehlers about this branched plant she had found which seemed to be a species in its own right and she even got the Mexicans to agree that it was the long lost T. maicropetala and that the name should be resurrected from synonymity under T. viridiflora. This had me checking the old records and this is what I came up with:

"Tillandsia macropetala Wawra, Wiener III. Gart. 12: 241, Fig. 50. 1887. Type. Vienna Hortus ex E. Morren s n (n v). Identified by description and illustration.

A magnificent plant 1% metres high, formed by a rosette of leaves, around the base of the shaft virtually 1 metre in diameter; its massive of wide pale red sheaths unite in an oval bulb; its lanceolate leaf blades spreading in a dainty bow, as you look downwards; they taper to a fine tip, a lively green, matt, both sides about the same colour and with faint darker stains and markings. The innermost leaves erect, are smaller and narrower, and merge into the scape bracts above.

The Inflorescence is very long and, very poorly branched Panicle; the Panicle scape is strictly erect, as thick as your thumb and covered over with bracts; the lowermost bracts are leaf-like, the upper ones quickly becoming shorter to about 4 cm long and oblong, keeps the colour of the leaves until the top which is brownish on the outside; they nestles narrowly on the scape, however the acuminate tip is spreading giving the stem a quite rough look. The bracts are very dense at the lower half and imbricate, then they move apart more, so that the scape remains uncovered to the node, at the same time they become thinner and lanceolate; the uppermost...