Guzmania lingulata (Scarlet star)

Guzmania lingulata (L.) Mez

Scarlet star, droophead tufted airplant

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Liliopsida	Monocots (plants with a single seed leaf); includes the lily family
Subclass	Zingiberidae	Gingers and related plants
Order	Bromeliales	Bromeliads: tropical plants adapted to limited water, often epiphytes
Family	Bromeliaceae	Bromelias: tropical and subtropical plants, the best known being pineapple
Genus	Guzmania	Named for Anastasio Guzmán, a Spanish pharmacist and naturalist
Species	lingulata	Latin for "tongue-shaped" (from Stearn's Botanical Latin)

About plant names...

Scarlet stars are natives of Central and South America. They are not found in the wild in North America, except in Puerto Rico. These plants are epiphytes—plants that grow on other plants without harming them. They are also called airplants because they nestle in tree branches without soil, absorbing nutrients directly from the air and abundant rain.

Identification: Plants reach 12-24" (30-60 cm) in height, and are about the same in diameter. Narrow, straplike leaves emerge from the center. Although the true flowers are white and fairly inconspicuous, they appear atop dramatically colored yellow, pink and red bracts (modified leaves).

Online References:

Guzmania lingulata on www.bromeliad.org.au

Guzmania lingulata at the Missouri Botanical Garden

Guzmania lingulata on the USDA Plants Database

Guzmania lingulata on Wikimedia Commons

Guzmania lingulata on BioLib.cz

4/6/2011 · Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory & Botanic Gardens, Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, Maryland
≈ 7 × 9" (18 × 23 cm) ID is uncertain

4/6/2011 · Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory & Botanic Gardens, Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, Maryland
≈ 14 × 18" (34 × 45 cm)

4/6/2011 · Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory & Botanic Gardens, Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, Maryland
≈ 14 × 9" (35 × 23 cm)

Guzmania lingulata description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

4/6/2011 · Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory & Botanic Gardens, Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, Maryland
≈ 10 × 11" (26 × 29 cm) ID is uncertain

4/6/2011 · Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory & Botanic Gardens, Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, Maryland
≈ 12 × 17" (29 × 44 cm)

4/6/2011 · Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory & Botanic Gardens, Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, Maryland
≈ 21 × 14" (52 × 34 cm) ID is uncertain

4/6/2011 · Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory & Botanic Gardens, Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, Maryland
≈ 11 × 12" (27 × 30 cm) ID is uncertain

4/6/2011 · Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory & Botanic Gardens, Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, Maryland
≈ 14 × 9" (35 × 23 cm)

Range: Zones 10-12:

About this map...