Bursting Out

A Bromeliad flower in close-up.

This particular plant is Billbergia pyramidalis   Var:concolour, originally from Brazil.

While the flowers are spectacular, they are short lived, only lasting a couple of days. Bromeliads are epiphytic plants, taking nourishment from the water they collect, rather than from their roots. They often grow on other plants, but are not parasitic on them.