Tillandsia utriculata L.
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Authority
Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro & collaborators. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78: 1-581.
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Family
Bromeliaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Large, solitary, epiphytic, herb; stems very short, clothed by the leaf bases. Leaves in a rosette; blades recurved, 35-95 cm long, coriaceous, densely covered with grayish peltate scales below, tapering from a 3-9 cm wide base to a long-acuminate apex. Scape erect, to 1.5 m long, pyramidal; scape bracts lanceolatecaudate, decreasing toward the apex; inflorescences numerous, alternate, of simple or compound spikes, with numerous distichous flowers; floral bracts lanceolate, rigid, ca. 1.5 cm long, not overlapping. Flowers nearly sessile, to 5 mm long, projecting beyond the floral bract; sepals elliptic, 1.5-1.8 cm long; petals creamcolored to light yellow, 3-4 cm long, linear. Capsule cylindrical, 3.5-5 cm long. Seeds with comose hairs 2.5-3.5 cm long.
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Discussion
Common name: wild pin.
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Distribution
A common epiphyte of moist to dry forests. Lind Point (A1971), Center Line Road (A4034); Fish Bay (A3914). Also on Anegada, St. Croix, and St. Thomas; southeastern United States, Mexico, Central America, Venezuela, and the West Indies.
Saint John Virgin Islands of the United States South America| Venezuela South America| Central America| México Mexico North America| United States of America North America| Saint Croix Virgin Islands of the United States South America| Anegada Virgin Islands South America|