Aechmea ampla

Mid to Large bromeliad from Bahia, still uncommon in cultivation. It is a winner for the serious bromeliad collector, who looks for a wild-wild look. Leaves are glossy, yellow-green, with the tips "painted with red nail polish". This species is surely reminiscent of another bromeliad from a different genus: Hohenbergia castellanosii. In this case, Aechmea ampla is smaller and glossier (lacking the waxy-powdery colour on the leaf) and it does not need to approach blooming in order to show the red.