This species was originally published as a Vriesea species by Professor Werner Rauh in 1983 Jason R. Grant moved it to the genus Tillandsia. Our plants originated from a collection in 1988 in Peru with Werner Rauh. The silver-grey foliage has wide leaves and an open rosette. The inflorescence is upright with few branches and light pink. It has cream-colored petals with dark blue edging.