''Neoregelia spectabilis'', the fingernail plant, is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

in the family ''

Bromeliaceae The Bromeliaceae (the bromeliads) are a family of monocot flowering plants of about 80 genera and 3700 known species, native mainly to the tropical Americas, with several species found in the American subtropics and one in tropical west Africa, ...

''. It is

native Native may refer to: People * '' Jus sanguinis'', nationality by blood * '' Jus soli'', nationality by location of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Nat ...

to the South Brazilian

rainforest Rainforests are forests characterized by a closed and continuous tree Canopy (biology), canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforests can be generally classified as tropi ...

. Growing to tall by wide, it produces rosettes of up to 30 red-tipped strap-shaped leaves, the inner leaves coloured red; and, in summer, blue flowers with red or purple bracts. The

specific epithet In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin gramm ...

''spectabilis'' means showy or spectacular. With a minimum temperature of , ''N. spectabilis'' is cultivated as a

houseplant A houseplant, also known as a pot plant, potted plant, or indoor plant, is an ornamental plant cultivated indoors. for aesthetic or practical purposes. These plants are commonly found in House, homes, Office, offices, and various indoor spaces, w ...

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (approximately 23.5° to 66.5° N/S of the Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ran ...

regions. It has gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. It includes the full range of cultivated p ...

Cultivars

* ''Neoregelia'' 'Black Knight' * ''Neoregelia'' 'Black Spectabilis' * ''Neoregelia'' 'Bromel-La' * ''Neoregelia'' 'Fiesta' * ''Neoregelia'' 'Inspiration' * ''Neoregelia'' 'Julian Nally' * ''Neoregelia'' 'Lady Racine' * ''Neoregelia'' 'Magenta Dalmatian' * ''Neoregelia'' 'Marcon' * ''Neoregelia'' 'Mary Jo' * ''Neoregelia'' 'Nice Surprise' * ''Neoregelia'' 'Pinkie' * ''Neoregelia'' 'Pinstripe' * ''Neoregelia'' 'Red On Green' * ''Neoregelia'' 'Sincerely' * ''Neoregelia'' 'Spectaline' * ''Neoregelia'' 'Spectaroan' * ''Neoregelia'' 'Spotted Imp' * ''Neoregelia'' 'Thunderball' * × ''Neobergia'' 'Perneri' * × ''Neomea'' 'Pink Cascade' * × ''Neotanthus'' 'Charlien Rose' * × ''Neotanthus'' 'Tom Montgomery' * × ''Niduregelia'' 'Sunset'

References

*
BSI Cultivar Registry
Retrieved 11 October 2009 Flora of Brazil Flora of Southern America spectabilis Taxa named by Franz Antoine {{neoregelia-stub