Tillandsia setacea

Diaphoranthema versicolor, Beer 1856
Platystachys disticha, (L.) Beer 1856
Platystachys setacea, (Sw.) Beer 1856
Renealmia disticha, L. 1759
Renealmia monostachya, L. ex Baker 1889
Tillandsia bromoides, Mez 1913
Tillandsia caespitosa, Leconte 1826
Tillandsia calamifolia, Salisb. 1812
Tillandsia disticha, (L.) Willd.,
Tillandsia disticha, (L.) Willd. ex Schult. & Schult.f., 1830
Tillandsia setacea var. tenuifolia, Chapm.
Tillandsia tenuifolia, Mez
Vriesea disticha, (L.) Kuntze 1898
Vriesea setacea, Hook.
Vriesea setacea, Hook. ex Mez 1896

non Tillandsia setacea, Hooker 1833

setaceus = needle-shaped

Tillandsia setacea is widespread but not uniform. In the U.S.A., occurrence is restricted to Georgia and Florida, a small patch in Mexico on the Pacific coast, throughout the Caribbean, and in northern Brazil on the Atlantic coast. The localities are between sea level and 800m.

The description of the species is based on a plant discovered by Olof Swartz in Jamaica.
The plants, which are deposited in various herbaria from different locations under Tillandsia setacea, differ greatly in the size of the leaves.