Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden, South Africa

Common name: Fingernail plant

Family: Bromeliaceae (Bromeliad)

Distribution: Southern Brazil

IUCN Red list: Not evaluated

Comments: In summer red or purple bracts with blue flowers emerge. The specific name 'spectabilis' means spectacular. The olive green leaves of this bromeliad are tipped with red, hence the English common name “painted fingernail”. The inner leaves are coloured red and create a habitat for frogs and insects.