WorldFloraDB - Tillandsia

Characteristics

Acaulescent or caulescent herbs of very variable habit. Leaves rosulate or fasciculate or distributed along a stem, polystichous (all the Guiana species except T. usneoides) or distichous, entire; blades ligulate to narrowly triangular or linear; leaf scales radially symmetric or produced at one side. Inflorescence various, usually of distichous-flowered spikes or sometimes reduced to a single polystichous-flowered spike by the reduction of the spikes to single flowers or rarely the whole inflorescence reduced to a single flower; scape usually distinct; floral bracts conspicuous to minute. Flowers perfect, short-pedicellate or sessile; sepals convolute, usually symmetric, free or joined; petals free, naked; stamens of various length relative to the petals and to the pistil; ovary superior, glabrous; ovules usually many, caudate. Capsule septicidal; coma at the base of the seeds, always white, straight.

Caulescent or acaulescent herbs of very variable habit. Leaves rosulate or fasciculate or distributed along a stem, polystichous or distichous, entire, blades ligulate or subtriangular or filiform. Scape usually distinct. Inflorescence various, usually of distichous-flowered spikes or sometimes reduced to a single polystichous-flowered spike by the reduction of the spikes to single flowers or rarely the whole inflorescence reduced to a single flower. Flowers perfect. Sepals usually sym-metric, free, or equally or posteriorly joined. Petals free, naked or rarely with vertical folds. Stamens of various lengths relative to the petals and pistil. Ovary superior, glabrous. Ovules usually many and caudate. Capsule septicidal. Seeds erect, narrowly cylindric or fusiform, the plumose appendage white, straight, basal.

Perennial, branched herbs, epiphytic or (not in Australia) terrestrial. Roots fibrous or absent. Leaves distichous or (not in Australia) fascicled or alternate, linear-filiform to (not in Australia) lanceolate-ensiform, entire. Flowers terminal, solitary to numerous on bracteate, simple or (not in Australia) branched, scapose or almost sessile inflorescences. Sepals free or shortly connate, acute, symmetric. Petals free, erect, lacking basal scales, green or (not in Australia) blue, red, yellow, pink or white. Stamens free, included or (not in Australia) exserted, introrse, basifixed. Style filiform, included or (not in Australia) exserted; ovary superior. Seeds numerous, small, brown; appendage large.

Herbs, usually epiphytic, stemless to long caulescent. Leaves mostly many-ranked, rosulate, or occasionally 2-ranked and / or laxly arranged; blade linear to triangular or ligulate, margins entire, trichomes usually conspicuous. Inflorescences central, 1--many-flowered, 2-ranked; floral bracts mostly broad, conspicuous, rachis covered or exposed at anthesis. Flowers bisexual; sepals distinct or adaxial pair connate, usually symmetric; petals distinct; stamens included or exserted, filaments free; ovary superior. Capsules cylindric, dehiscent. Seeds with basal, white, plumose appendage.

Lvs entire; pet separate; ovary superior; fr capsular; seeds plumose; epiphytes. 500, warm Amer.

Life form	perennial
Growth form	herb
Growth support	-
Foliage retention	-
Sexuality	hermaphrodite
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Spread	-
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Mature height (meter)	-
Root system	fibrous-root
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Nitrogen fixer	-
Photosynthetic pathway	-

Environment

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Hardiness (USDA)

Usage

Uses	-
Edible	-
Therapeutic use	-
Human toxicity	-
Animal toxicity	-

Cultivation

Mode	-
Germination duration (days)	30 - 90
Germination temperacture (C°)	15 - 21
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Germination treatment	-
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Optimum temperature (C°)	-
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