Aechmea miniata

Native to Bahia in northeastern Brazil, this plant is a perennial bromeliad that grows on trees in humid forests. Its strap-shaped leaves form a dense, funnel-shaped rosette and have finely toothed edges. The leaves extend beyond the flower cluster. A slender red stalk carries a branched cluster about three to six inches long. The small flowers have blue petals surrounded by red sepals. Cultivated forms can have shiny green leaves with reddish undersides. It resembles Aechmea fulgens but has a more compact flower cluster. Photographed in Florida.