Cryptanthus zonatus

Billbergia bivittata, Hook. 1861
Cryptanthus atropurpureus, Mez
Cryptanthus bivittatus subsp. atropurpureus, Mez
Cryptanthus bivittatus subsp. luddemannii, Baker
Cryptanthus bivittatus var. atropurpureus, Mez
Cryptanthus bivittatus var. bivittatus
Cryptanthus bivittatus var. luddemannii, Baker 1889
Cryptanthus bivittatus var. moensis
Cryptanthus moensii, Gentil
Cryptanthus nitidus, W.Bull 1904
Nidularium bivittatum, Lem. 1862
Nidularium bivittatum, Lem. ex Baker 2020
Nidularium bivittatum infrasubsp. publ 1862
Tillandsia bivittata (Hook.), Linden 1862
Tillandsia vittata, 1889 Baker
Tillandsia vittata infrasubsp. publ 1889

zonatus = provided with stripes or bands

terrestric in shady places, on the Atlantic coast of Brazil far inland, in the provinces of Rio Grande Do Norte, Pernambuco, Paraiba, Sergipe, Alagoas, Ceara and Bahia.

Cryptanthus species grow terrestrially as evergreen, perennial herbaceous plants. Most species are relatively small. The coarse, parallel-veined foliage leaves sit on a compressed main axis in a basal rosette. The stem leaves are slightly armed with a toothed leaf margin. The most decorative thing about the Cryptanthus species are their sometimes wavy, often beautifully patterned.
Cryptanthus only form a few roots and, like all other bromeliads, feed via suckers or the water in the calyx. After flowering, several keikis usually form from the heart, which can be easily removed and potted when 3-5cm of size.
Cryptanthus only achieve their full colour when they start to flower. The more light they get at this time, the more intense the leaf colour will be.