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ballmoss, small ballmoss, tillandsia recta o heno pequeño

Spanish moss

Habit Plants in dense spheric clusters, flowering to 15 cm diam. Plants pendent in long festoons, flowering to 300 cm.
Stems

short.

elongate.

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.

4–8, 2-ranked, often twisted or contorted, gray to silver-gray, 1.5–3 × 0.1–0.2 cm, densely grayish-scaly;

sheath pale, narrowly elliptic, not inflated, not forming pseudobulb, 0.2–0.4 cm wide;

blade filiform, succulent, margins involute to nearly tubular, apex 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 concealed within leaf sheath, appearing scapeless, pendent with shoot, ± 1 mm diam.

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.

1, inconspicuous, apparently sessile;

sepals free, ovate, not keeled, 0.6–0.7 cm, thin, veined, apex acute, surfaces glabrous;

corolla spreading, petals spreading, yellow-green, elliptic, to 1 cm;

stamens included;

stigma included, simple-erect.

Fruits

to 3 cm.

to 2.5 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 enveloping flower, erect, green, broad (covering all or most of rachis, rachis not visible at anthesis), ovate, not keeled, 0.4–0.5 cm, thin-leathery, apex acute, surfaces densely grayish-scaly, venation even to slight.

Tillandsia recurvata

Tillandsia usneoides

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering summer.
Habitat Epiphytic to occasionally among or on rocks (Arizona, Texas), usually in bright exposed habitats Epiphytic, occasionally on fences, telephone lines
Elevation 0–1500 m [0–4900 ft] 0–300 m [0–1000 ft]
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; FL; GA; LA; TX; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC; TX; VA; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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. paucifolia, T. pruinosa, T. recurvata, T. setacea, T. simulata, T. utriculata, T. variabilis, T. ×floridana, T. ×smalliana
Synonyms Renealmia recurvata, Diaphoranthema recurvata Renealmia usneoides, Dendropogon usneoides
Name authority (Linnaeus) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl., ed. 2 1: 410. (1762) (Linnaeus) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl., ed. 2 1: 411. (1762)
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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