forma simplex 0. Kuntze. Revis. Gen. III, 2. (1898) 304; Castell. in Anal. Mus. Nac. Hist. Nat. Buenos Aires XXXVI. (1931) 374. Treated by S&D as a synonym of T. lorentziana.
Detail from Mez 1935 - A typo differt spica simplici si composita tunc pannicula depauperata; petalis lilacinis staturaque minore
Bolivia (0.Kuntze). Argentina: San Luis, San Francisco, Quebrada del Palmar (Castellanos n. 25/612), Quebrada de Ramos (id. n. 25/513), Quebrada del Rio Quines (id. n. 25/611); Cordoba, Dept. San Javier (Hauman n. 1600), Capilla del monte, Los Paredones (Castellanos n. 1594).

Note from Walter Till 15 Apl 1997
I know the problem with the blue petalled Tillandsia lorentziana. Confusion is even stronger when you take into consideration that T. cardenasii (incl. the dwarf form T. pseudocardenasii) is widespread in Central Bolivia and is closely related to T. lorentziana. As the blue petalled T. lorentziana tend to have simple inflorescences I would not exclude that they represent natural hybrids of the two aforementioned species.
However, extensive field studies are needed to interpret this alliance correctly.

The following was referred to in Mez 1935 under T. lorentziana but he clearly mixed plants especially when he treated T. rusbyi as a synonym.
No reference in S&D. After consultation decided to treat this as Vriesea aff. lubbersii
Tillandsia lorentziana Grisebach by L. Wittmack in Gartenflora XL 313, t. 1349, (1891)
Translated by Butcher
Sect. Platystachys. Leaves from a longish base narrowing to linear, acuminate, rolled inwards, bent over, shorter than the shaft, bran-like scales, scales,( hairy) densely prominent, greyish-white. Panicle drawn together, formed by several spikes, the individual spikes with 3-5 flowers, prominent, alternate, somewhat apart from each other, rather equally long. Floral bract of a single flower (shiny scarlet red), imbricate, distichous, smooth, folded, longish, acuminate, nerved striped, a little exceeding the sepal, 3-4 times longer than the internodes. Sepals 1˝ times longer than the claw of the petal, acuminate, petals with threadlike claw and spatulate-lanceolate (white) blade, that is half as long as the claw. anther prominent, style even further extended, stigma blunt, ciliate.
Compared with T. balbisiana Schult, it is distinguished at first glance by the scales on the leaves and the lower bracts, and spreading from T. pruinosa Sw.
Stem 1 foot high. Leaves 4-7 inches long, base 8-10 lines wide, gradually narrowing, about the middle becoming narrow, gradually merging into the scape bracts on the stem, sheath-like, about 1˝ in long, spike 3-2 in. long, floral bract 1 in. Sepals 10/12 inch, petals 1 8/12 inch long.
Cordoba. At dry rocks in the valley of the river Auroyo near Las Penas. Lorentz n. 803)
Preceding this is Grisebach’s almost verbatim translation of the description in his “Plantae Lorentziae”, treatise of the Gottinger Society of the Sciences, XIX, 1874, p 271 (refer. Baker, Handbook Brom. 182).
" "The plant first flowered with Mr. Jacob Makoy in Luttich 1880, and in the year 1890 in the Orchid - Garden of the Garden-Inspector J C F Bouche in Endenich near Bonn, who directly introduced the plant. Our illustration is produced from an illustration of the original plant painted by Mr. Inspector Bouche, that he had determined and sent over to us. We have not seen the plant itself, only one leaf and an individual flower. Mr. J G Baker in Kew, to whom we sent the illustration, however also thinks that it is probably T. lorentziana. Hopefully we will later see another with a richly branched panicle: in the Grisebach collection there is such a plant and also has a single spike with more flowers. Mr. Inspector Bouche wrote the following to us about the plant:
Two years ago, I travelled through Paraguay with a friend, Mr. Schantzer, where different Bromeliaceae and orchids often repeatedly, grow, a Bromeliaceae species attracted my attention particularly through its odd habit, and which I had not yet noticed in known Bromeliaceae collections. Immediately near falls in relatively low growth we found an unusual prominent plant, strong bulblike appearance below, above the roots there is a tuft of leaves. The same becomes formed at the trunk by wide leaf bases, which provide the plant with a large natural reservoir. We are privileged to have imported examples of it here with one purely epiphytic form.
After about a year in cultivation with the plant in fibrous orchid-mix and swamp-moss, (I have cultivated similar plants of this type with good success for years), the same developed an about 35cm high flower stem from the centre, the lower part with green scape bracts, and in the upper part a shiny cinnabar red colour.
They have the same colour as the flower stem and its additional branches with surrounding bracts. The not large flowers are pure white and stands in effective contrast with the scarlet bracts so that the plant at flowering time is one much admired ornament of my Bromeliad collection. The illustration added to the text here was prepared from a watercolour drawing from my garden, shows however, as is abundantly clear with pictorial representations of flowers, that unfortunately are not those shining natural colour tones of the plant.
Through artificial fertilization of the flowers I succeeded in getting viable seed from T. lorentziana, that were sowed about two weeks ago. I hope that I will receive a large number of young plants soon. It multiplies very easily also through side offsets (babies), which this Bromeliad produces to 3-4 cuttings, and accordingly I already have 8 young plants, that each sells at 20 Mks per piece.
Figure-information (gf40-313): a Floral bract with dry flower, b. Floral bract, c Sepal, d. Flower, e Petal, f. upper part of filaments, g. Ovary