''Vriesea splendens'', or flaming sword, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

in the family Bromeliaceae, subfamily

Tillandsioideae Tillandsioideae is a subfamily of plants in the bromeliad family Bromeliaceae. This subfamily contains the greatest number of species (about 1,400). Most are epiphytic or lithophytic, growing in trees or on rocks where they absorb water and nu ...

. Native to

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...

, eastern

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

and the GuianasKew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
/ref>Smith, L.B. & R. J. Downs. 1977. Tillandsioideae (Bromeliaceae), Part II. Flora Neotropica, Monograph 14(2): 663–1492 these plants were introduced to

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

in 1840. This species of '' Vriesea'' features smooth-margined foliage with brown bands growing in a rosette, usually producing a bright red inflorescence in a flattened spike. It is a recipient of the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nor ...

's Award of Garden Merit. Image:VrieseaSplendens.jpg File:Vriesea flower.jpg It is sometimes considered a synonym of '' Lutheria splendens''. The Bromeliad Cultivar Register lists a number of cultivars of ''V. splendens''.

References

External links

FCBS Vriesea link
splendens House plants Flora of South America Flora of Trinidad and Tobago Epiphytes Plants described in 1845 {{Vriesea-stub