Bromeliaceae

Scientific Name - Quesnelia sp. 
Common Name - Not Available
Place of Origin - Eastern Brazil
Status - Not Known

This plant is a bit of a mystery, as no one can help me identify it. Its closest ties are with the quesnelia genus, but its inflorescence doesn’t match any of the species. It slightly resembles Quesnelia lateralis, but that is a big stretch, since this plant has paler flowers, a bigger inflorescence, and never flowers laterally, as Quesnelia lateralis does, hence the name “lateralis.” It’s possible that this is a hybrid between two quesnelia species, or even a bigeneric hybrid between a quesnelia and possibly an aechmea or billbergia. 

This plant is a winner, whatever it may be. It forms attractive clumps, when allowed to, and blooms in winter, when most other plants are dormant. It’s also relatively cold hardy, receiving only minor damage this winter. Most of the older plants flowered in November, but this plant decided to end up another spike in February.