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leatherleaf airplant, tillandsia cambiante

manatee river airplant

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

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 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 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

5–30, 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.

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

to 3 cm.

to 3 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, 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 variabilis

Tillandsia simulata

Phenology Flowering spring–fall. Flowering spring.
Habitat Epiphytic in moist, shaded habitats Epiphytic on a variety of hosts in swamps and moist hammocks, usually in strong light
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
[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. 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. paucifolia, T. pruinosa, T. recurvata, T. setacea, T. usneoides, T. utriculata, T. variabilis, T. ×floridana, T. ×smalliana
Synonyms T. houzeavii, T. valenzuelana
Name authority Schlechtendal: Linnaea 18:418. (1844) Small: Manual of the Southeastern Flora 270, 1503. (1933)
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