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leatherleaf airplant, tillandsia cambiante

potbelly airplant

Habit Plants usually single, rarely clustering, flowering to 40 cm. Plants single or clustering, flowering to 15 cm.
Stems

short.

short.

Leaves

15–20, many-ranked, spreading, gray-green or flushed rose, 12–30 × 1–2 cm, finely appressed-scaly;

sheath pale to nearly chestnut brown, ovate, flat, not forming pseudobulb, 2–4 cm wide;

blade narrowly triangular, tapering evenly from base to apex, nearly plane to channeled, soft, brittle, margins involute, apex attentuate.

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 or ascending, 3–10 cm, 2–5 mm diam.;

bracts densely imbricate, erect, blade often hanging, like leaves but gradually smaller;

sheath of bracts narrowing abruptly into blade;

spikes erect or ascending, never palmate, linear, compressed, 5–20 × 0.8–1.2 cm, apex acute; simple or laxly 2–3 lateral branches.

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

5–30, conspicuous;

sepals with adaxial pair connate, oblong, keeled, 1.5–1.8 cm, thin-leathery, slightly veined, apex obtuse, surfaces glabrous;

corolla tubular, petals erect, lavender-blue, ligulate, to 3 cm;

stamens exserted;

stigma exserted, conduplicate-spiral.

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, red, or purple, broad (covering all or most of rachis, rachis not visible at anthesis), elliptic, keeled toward apex, 1.8–2 × 0.6–0.9 cm, leathery, base visible in fruit, apex acute, surfaces glabrous.

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 variabilis

Tillandsia paucifolia

Phenology Flowering spring–fall. Flowering spring–summer.
Habitat Epiphytic in moist, shaded habitats Epiphytic in bright exposed habitats
Elevation 0–30 m (0–100 ft) 0–30 m (0–100 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
FL; 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.)

Source FNA vol. 22. FNA vol. 22.
Parent taxa Bromeliaceae > Tillandsia Bromeliaceae > Tillandsia
Sibling taxa
T. baileyi, T. balbisiana, T. bartramii, T. fasciculata, T. flexuosa, T. paucifolia, T. pruinosa, T. recurvata, T. setacea, T. simulata, T. usneoides, T. utriculata, 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 T. houzeavii, T. valenzuelana
Name authority Schlechtendal: Linnaea 18:418. (1844) Baker: Gard. Chron. ser. 2, 10:748. (1878)
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