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ballmoss, small ballmoss, tillandsia recta o heno pequeño

potbelly airplant

Habit Plants in dense spheric clusters, flowering to 15 cm diam. Plants single or clustering, flowering to 15 cm.
Stems

short.

short.

Leaves

4–10, 2-ranked, recurving, gray, 6–12 × 0.2–0.3 cm, densely pruinose-scaly;

sheath pale, elliptic, not inflated, not forming pseudobulb, 4–8 mm wide;

blade subulate, terete distally, succulent, margins involute to nearly tubular, apex acute to attenuate.

5–10, many-ranked, recurved to twisted, silvery gray, to 12 × 0.3–0.6 cm, grayish-scaly;

sheath nearly chestnut brown within, ovate, conspicuously inflated, forming small pseudobulb, 1.5–3.5 cm wide;

blade narrowly triangular, semisucculent, margins involute, apex obtuse to nearly acute.

Inflorescences

scape conspicuous, erect, 2–5 cm, ± 1 mm diam.;

bracts 1–2, widely spaced, erect, inconspicuous, nearly foliaceous;

sheath of bracts narrowing gradually into blade;

spikes ascending, subpalmate, elliptic, compressed, 8–15 ´ 4–6 mm, apex acute;

lateral branches absent.

scape short and conspicous, erect or ascending, 1–6 cm, 2–3 mm diam.;

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

sheath of bracts narrowing gradually into blade;

single spikes, or with 2–4 lateral spikes, usually ascending, pinnate, linear to narrowly elliptic, compressed, 2–7 × 0.6–1 cm, apex acute to obtuse.

Flowers

usually 2, conspicuous;

sepals free, lanceolate, not keeled, 6–8 mm, thin, veined, apex acute, surfaces glabrous;

corolla tubular;

petals spreading toward apex, violet, elliptic, 0.7–1 cm;

stamens included;

stigma included, simple-erect.

2–15, conspicuous;

sepals with adaxial pair short connate, lanceolate, keeled, to 2 cm, thin-leathery to papery, veined, apex acute, surfaces sparsely scaly;

corolla tubular;

petals erect, lavender-blue, ligulate, to 4 cm;

stamens exserted;

stigma exserted, conduplicate-spiral.

Fruits

to 3 cm.

to 4 cm.

Floral

bracts laxly imbricate, erect, green, tinged purple, broad (covering all or most of rachis, rachis not visible at anthesis), narrowly elliptic, not keeled, 0.8–1 cm, thin-leathery, apex acute, surfaces densely grayish-scaly, venation even to slight.

bracts imbricate, erect, pale pink, broad (covering all or most of rachis, rachis not visible at anthesis), elliptic, not keeled, 2–3 cm, thin-leathery, base visible at anthesis, apex broadly acute to obtuse, surfaces densely grayish-scaly.

Tillandsia recurvata

Tillandsia paucifolia

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering spring–summer.
Habitat Epiphytic to occasionally among or on rocks (Arizona, Texas), usually in bright exposed habitats Epiphytic in bright exposed habitats
Elevation 0–1500 m [0–4900 ft] 0–30 m [0–100 ft]
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; FL; GA; LA; TX; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
FL; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

The leaf blade of Tillandsia paucifolia is often shorter than the leaf sheath.

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

Parent taxa Bromeliaceae > Tillandsia Bromeliaceae > Tillandsia
Sibling taxa
T. baileyi, T. balbisiana, T. bartramii, T. fasciculata, T. flexuosa, T. paucifolia, T. pruinosa, 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. pruinosa, T. recurvata, T. setacea, T. simulata, T. usneoides, T. utriculata, T. variabilis, T. ×floridana, T. ×smalliana
Synonyms Renealmia recurvata, Diaphoranthema recurvata
Name authority (Linnaeus) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl., ed. 2 1: 410. (1762) Baker: Gard. Chron. ser. 2, 10:748. (1878)
Source FNA vol. 22. Treatment authors: Harry E. Luther, Gregory K. Brown. FNA vol. 22. Treatment authors: Harry E. Luther, Gregory K. Brown.
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