Tillandsia

• Authority

  Smith, Lyman B. & Downs, Robert J. 1977. Tillandsioideae (Bromeliaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 14 (2): 663-1492. (Published by NYBG Press)

• Family

  Bromeliaceae

• Scientific Name

  Tillandsia

• Type

  Type. Tillandsia utriculata Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 286. 1753.

• Synonyms

  Renealmia, Caraguata, Bonapartea Ruiz & Pav., Acanthospora C.K.Sprengel, Misandra, Dendropogon, Buonapartea Sweet, Tillandsia usneoides (L.) L., Allardtia, Anoplophytum, Diaphoranthema, Phytarrhiza, Pityrophyllum, Platystachys, Wallisia, Strepsia Nutt. & Steud.

• Description

  Description - Caulescent or acaulescent herbs of very variable habit. Leaves rosulate or fasciculate or distributed along a stem, polystichous or distichous, entire; blades ligulate to narrowly triangular or linear; leaf-scales centrally symmetric. 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. Floral bracts conspicuous to minute; flowers perfect, mostly short-pedicellate. Sepals convolute, usually symmetric, free or equally or posteriorly joined. Petals free, naked. Stamens of various lengths relative to the petals and to the pistil. Ovary superior glabrous. Ovules usually many, caudate. Fruit a septicidal capsule. Seeds erect, narrowly cylindric or fusiform, the plumose appendage basal, straight, white.