Tillandsia picta (Flaming sword)

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Tillandsia picta Baker

Flaming sword

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	Tillandsia	For Elias Tillands (1640-1693), Finno-Swedish botanist
Species	picta

About plant names...

Flaming sword—what a cool name!—is native to eastern Venezuela and French Guiana. It is not found in the wild in North America.

Identification: This bromeliad is 2-3′ (60-91 cm) high. It is an epiphyte, so it can live on rock or bark. It has leathery, straplike linear leaves that emerge from a common base. Leaves are 1-1½′ (30-45 cm) in length, and variegated or striped with maroon. Flaming sword is an apt name: flowers are crimson, on a narrow, erect, flattened spike, pointing straight up, looking like a Jedi knight's lightsaber.

Online References:

Forest and Kim Starr’s Starr Environmental site

Fcbs.org

The Missouri Botanical Garden

Plants are the Strangest People

Fcbs.org (Vriesea (genus))

Vriesea splendens var. striatifolia M.B.Foster

Vriesea splendens (Brongn.) Lem.

Tillandsia longibracteata Baker [Illegitimate]

Vriesea splendens var. oinochroma Steyerm.

Vriesea splendens var. formosa Suringar ex Witte

Vriesea splendens var. splendens