Named after the Dutch botanist W. de Vriese (1807–1862).
Acaulescent, perennial, usually epiphytic herbs. Leaves in a rosette, many-ranked, entire; blades ligulate, mainly green. Inflorescence usually distichous, simple or compound; floral bracts usually conspicuous; sepals free; petals free; stamens included or protruding. Seed fusiform with long straight basal hairs.
Plants grown in cultivation mainly come from south-eastern Brazil and are known for their colourful floral bracts and/or tessellate leaves.
Cultivars under the Cultivars tab have been graded into the following sizes: Small (S) to 25 cm, Medium (M) 30–40 cm, Large (L) 60–70 cm
Mainly by offsets.
Stemless plants with leaves entire, the blades tongue-like and hardly scaly; flowers usually in 2 ranks, usually with conspicuous bracts; corolla regular, petals with 2 basal scales; ovary superior.
About 265 species very widely spread from Mexico, north-western South America and south-eastern Brazil.
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.
Small (S) to 25 cm, Medium (M) 30-40 cm, Large (L) 60-70 cm
Leaves green with darker green tessellations. Inflorescence simple long sword-shaped.
Medium sized Australian cultivar.
Leaves green, scape bent, inflorescence compound with 1 or 2 side spikes; spikes swordshaped, arching; floral bracts cherry red.
Originated at Raemaur Nursery, Hurstbridge,Victoria.
Medium sized Australian cultivar.
Leaves green, scape long, stout; inflorescence simple, paddle-shape; floral bracts shiny crimson.
Large sized Australian cultivar.
Leaves green with a purple-grey tip; scape bent; inflorescence arching, sword-shaped; floral bracts yellow.
Originated at Raemaur Nursery, Hurstbridge,Victoria.
Medium sized Australian cultivar.
Leaves green; scape short; inflorescence compound, spikes sword-shaped erect; floral bracts wide deep yellow.
Medium sized Australian cultivar.
Leaves green; scape long and strong, red; inflorescence compound many-ranked, flowers lax; floral bracts shining red.
Medium sized Australian cultivar.
Leaves green with indistinct tessellate markings; scape long, sturdy; inflorescence simple, sword-shaped; flowers from base and becoming lax revealing a zig-zag axis; floral bracts creamy yellow.
Large sized Australian cultivar.
See comments under Viminalis Rex.
Originated at Raemaur Nursery, Hurstbridge, Victoria.
Leaves stiff, narrow, green upright; scape red; inflorescence compound, many-ranked, lax; floral bracts red.
Similar to 'Komet' but much more vigorous and hardy.
Originated at Raemaur Nursery, Hurstbridge,Victoria.
Small sized Australian cultivar.
Leaves green; scape short and stout; inflorescence mainly simple sometimes with a side spike, sword-shaped; floral bracts mainly red but with yellow edges.
Originated at Raemaur Nursery, Hurstbridge,Victoria.
Small sized Australian cultivar.
Leaves green; scape bent; inflorescence simple, sword-shaped but twisted; floral bracts pinkish red.
Originated at Raemaur Nursery, Hurstbridge,Victoria.
Small sized Australian cultivar.
Leaves green scape long sturdy; inflorescence simple, sword-shaped, flowering from the base and becoming lax creating a ladder effect; floral bracts red with faint darker red spots.
Medium sized Australian cultivar.
Leaves semi-erect, green above, purple beneath; scape long, sturdy; inflorescence simple, short sword-shaped; floral bracts reddish-purple; flowers yellow, green tipped.
Small sized Australian cultivar.
Small (S) to 25 cm, Medium (M) 30-40 cm, Large (L) 60-70 cm
Leaves green. Inflorescence simple; sword-shaped, floral bracts red at base yellow at top, some red streaks.
Medium sized cultivar.
Leaves green, inflorescence compound, spikes 5 or more sword-shaped; floral bracts reddish-orange.
Large sized cultivar.
Leaves dark green, inflorescence compound, spikes 4, paddle-shaped; floral bracts bright red.
Medium sized cultivar.
Leaves green, inflorescence compound, many branched, scape and axis red, flowers lax, bracts red.
Medium sized cultivar.
Leaves green, inflorescence simple, sword-shaped, wider at base than top, bracts shiny red.
Medium sized cultivar.
Leaves dark green on the upper surface, below reddish-purple spots long semi-pendent scape, inflorescence simple, sword-shaped; floral bracts pale pink.
Hybrid origin.
Medium sized cultivar.
Green leaves with darker indistinct green cross tessellate markings, scape strong erect. Inflorescence compound with many branches, spikes sword-shaped, floral bracts brownish-red becoming lax at flowering from the base, stamens included.
Large sized cultivar.
Leaves green and erect, scape red, thick. Inflorescence many-ranked, lax, each spike with up to 25 flowers; floral bracts mainly orange-red.
Small sized cultivar.
Leaves brownish-green, inflorescence simple, sword-shaped floral bracts bright orange.
Small sized cultivar.
Leaves green, inflorescence simple spike wide sword-shaped; floral bracts red with darker tip.
Medium sized cultivar.
Leaves green, inflorescence simple; spikes sword-shaped, floral bracts red, and yellow towards the top.
Hybrid origin.
Similar to the species V. carinata but inflorescence longer than wide.
Small sized cultivar.
Leaves green, scape strong and erect, inflorescence compound with many erect spikes. Axis red, spikes sword-shaped, bracts red at base becoming yellow.
Large sized cultivar.
Leaves green, scape strong and erect. Inflorescence simple, sword-shaped, floral bracts shiny red but can be very dark.
Medium sized cultivar.
Leaves green; scape strong, inflorescence compound; spikes sword-shaped erect; floral bracts orange-yellow.
Medium sized cultivar.
Leaves green; scape strong; inflorescence simple, sword shape; floral bracts with long tip, red to deep purple.
Medium sized cultivar.
Leaves green; stout scape; inflorescence compound, many-ranked, lax, floral bracts red to yellow.
Very common and very hardy.
Medium sized cultivar.
Leaves green; stout scape, inflorescence simple, sword-shaped; floral bracts boat-shaped with a long tip, reddish-purple.
Medium sized cultivar.
Leaves green. Scape short and stout; inflorescence simple, paddle-shaped; floral bracts elongated, cherry red.
Small sized cultivar.
Leaves green; inflorescence compound; spikes sword-shaped; floral bracts maroon.
Large sized cultivar.
A name once used in Belgium for multi-branched Vrieseas with sword-shaped spikes where the floral bracts were red.
Similar plants in Australia are called 'Belgische hybrid' and 'Magnificent Seven'.