Tillandsia purpurea Ruiz & Pavon

subg. Phytarrhiza
Common Name: Tillandsia purpurea
Family: Bromeliaceae Juss.

Country of Origin: Atacama desert / coastal Peru
Habitat: fog desert, lomas formation

Description: Native to extremely arid coastal regions, where the plants grow loose and rootless on the desert floor, subsisting largely on a dense fog known locally as camanchaca. The fog nourishes plant communities called lomas formations.
More detail on Lomas Formations can be found at the Andean Botanical Information System website.

Culture: bright light and occasional misting

Accession Data:

Accession # 199900304
Source: Matt Opel
Accession Date: 09-20-1999
Bench: 2216 - XER:Atacama Fog Desert
- Currently: active - healthy
- Qty: 1 confirmed on 01-27-2025

Classification:

Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Liliopsida
SubClass: commelinids
Order: Poales
SubOrder:
Family: Bromeliaceae
SubFamily: Tillandsioideae
Tribe:
SubTribe:

Flowering Data:

This accession has been observed in bloom on:

Year	Jan				Feb				Mar					Apr				May				Jun					Jul				Aug				Sep					Oct				Nov				Dec
2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009

References (internal):

Plants used in EEB 2244 - General Ecology

EEB Greenhouse Holdings native to: Peru

References (external):

Personal communication with Matt Opel, Sept 20, 1999
Andean Botanical Information System
The Plant List (2013). Version 1.1. Accessed 26 February 2015.
WCSP (2015). World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Accessed 26 February 2015.

data regenerated on Tue, 22 Apr 2025 14:54:20 -0400 [bcm v4.0]