Named after Mulford B. Foster for his work as field collector and grower of Bromeliads.
Plants small. Leaves few, in a rosette; sheaths distinct; blades thin, more or less contracted at base, mainly entire. Scape tall and slender. Inflorescence laxly paniculate. Flowers small to minute, pendulous, bell-shaped; petals free, usually white.
Only two or three species in Australia of which the most interesting is F. villosula (Harms) L.B. Sm. Which is red on the underside of the leaves. They are true novelties, difficult to grow well and yet rewarding with their small nodding flowers. They need glasshouse protection to grow successfully in southern Australia.
About 20 species from the moister areas of Peru and Bolivia.
Source: (2005). Bromeliaceae. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 5. Flowering plants. Monocotyledons. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.