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Bartram's airplant, tillandsia de Bartram

manatee river airplant

Habit Plants densely clustering, flowering to 20–40 cm. Plants single or clustering, flowering to 40 cm.
Stems

short.

short.

Leaves

15–30, many-ranked, erect to spreading, gray, 15–40 × 0.2–0.5 cm, coarsely appressed-scaly;

sheath rust-colored toward base, broadly triangular, flat, not forming pseudobulb, 1–2 cm wide;

blade linear-subulate, leathery, margins involute, apex attenuate.

15–30, many-ranked, erect to spreading, gray, 20–40 × 0.1–0.4 cm, densely appressed-grayish-scaly;

sheath chestnut brown, narrowly elliptic, slightly inflated, not forming pseudobulb, 1.2–2 cm wide;

blade very narrowly linear-triangular, leathery, margins involute, apex attenuate.

Inflorescences

scape conspicuous, erect, 8–15 cm, 2–4 mm diam.;

bracts densely imbricate, erect;

sheath of bracts narrowing gradually into blade;

spikes erect, simple or palmate, linear, compressed, 2–4 × 1 cm, apex acute; simple or lateral branches 1–5.

scape conspicuous, erect, 10–15 cm, 4–6 mm diam.;

bracts densely imbricate, erect, like leaves but gradually smaller;

sheath of bracts narrowing abruptly into blade;

spikes erect to spreading, palmate, linear, compressed, 2–5 × 1 cm, apex acute;

lateral branches 1–5.

Flowers

5–20, conspicuous;

sepals with adaxial pair connate, elliptic, keeled, to 1.5 cm, thin-leathery, veined, apex obtuse, surfaces scaly;

corolla tubular, petals erect, violet, ligulate, 3–4.5 cm;

stamens exserted;

stigma exserted, conduplicate-spiral.

5–30, conspicuous;

sepals with adaxial pair connate, elliptic, keeled, to 1.6 cm, thin-leathery, veined, apex obtuse, surfaces slightly scaly;

corolla tubular, petals erect, violet, ligulate, 3–4.5 cm;

stamens exserted;

stigma exserted, conduplicate-spiral.

Fruits

2.5–3 cm.

to 3 cm.

Floral

bracts imbricate, erect, uniformly red to rose, broad (covering all or most of rachis, rachis not visible at anthesis), elliptic, keeled apically, 1.4–1.7 cm, thin-leathery, base not visible at anthesis, apex acute, surfaces scaly distally, becoming sparsely scaly toward base, venation slight.

bracts imbricate, erect, rose, broad (covering all or most of rachis, rachis not visible at anthesis), elliptic, keeled, 1.4–1.8 cm, thin-leathery, base not visible at anthesis, apex acute, surfaces appressed-grayish-scaly, venation slight apically.

Tillandsia bartramii

Tillandsia simulata

Phenology Flowering spring–summer. Flowering spring.
Habitat Epiphytic on a variety of hosts in swamps and hammocks Epiphytic on a variety of hosts in swamps and moist hammocks, usually in strong light
Elevation 0–60 m (0–200 ft) 0–30 m (0–100 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
FL; GA; Mexico (Tamaulipas)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
FL
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Tillandsia simulata is a distinct species, but preserved material often is misdetermined as Tillandsia bartramii Elliott. L. B. Smith and R. J. Downs (1977) treated T. simulata as a synonym under T. bartramii.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 22. FNA vol. 22.
Parent taxa Bromeliaceae > Tillandsia Bromeliaceae > Tillandsia
Sibling taxa
T. baileyi, T. balbisiana, T. fasciculata, T. flexuosa, T. paucifolia, T. pruinosa, T. recurvata, T. setacea, T. simulata, T. usneoides, T. utriculata, T. variabilis, T. ×floridana, T. ×smalliana
T. baileyi, T. balbisiana, T. bartramii, T. fasciculata, T. flexuosa, T. paucifolia, T. pruinosa, T. recurvata, T. setacea, T. usneoides, T. utriculata, T. variabilis, T. ×floridana, T. ×smalliana
Name authority Elliott Small: Manual of the Southeastern Flora 270, 1503. (1933)
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