Guzmania is a genus of flowering plants in the Bromeliaceae family, native to tropical and subtropical regions of South America. The most common species is Guzmania leptophylla, a species of flowering plant known by the common name spotted guzmania, which has a showy velvety-brown trumpet-shaped bloom that is mostly seen from June through October. Other species include Guzmania waulongensis and Guzmania trinidadensis.
Guzmania photos:
The flower blooms with five petals each consisting of a transparent tube up to 6 centimeters long, inside which are five whorled sepals followed by five valvate petals tipped with a thickened style at the base that protrudes beyond the tube; it smells like leather or soap when crushed or smelled with an artificial lavender odorant. In Western culture, it is commonly associated with floral perfume scents such as jasmine or rose, but does not impart such odors when crushed or smelled with fragrant oils such as lavender.