giant airplant
Save Florida's Bromeliads
A Method for Conserving Florida's
Native Airplants


giant airplant

Home
Florida's Native Bromeliads     


****  FLORIDA'S NATIVE BROMELIADS  ****
Tillandsia paucifolia
Potbelly Airplant



Tillandsia paucifolia
Scientific name: Tillandsia paucifolia  Baker

Former names: Tillandsia circinnataTillandsia bulbosa.

Common names: Potbelly airplant.

Status in Florida:  Not listed as threatened.

Threats to this plant in Florida:  Mexican bromeliad weevil (Metamasius callizona).

Distribution: Florida, Mexico, West Indies, Central and South America.

Distribution in Florida: Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Collier, Hendry, Indian River, Lee, Manatee, Martin, MiamiDade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Osceola, Palm Beach, Sarasota, and St. Lucie Counties.
Occurrence in Florida: Occasional.

Habitat:  Coastal strands and hammocks, brightly exposed habitats.

Description:  Tank epiphyte; grows to 10-35 cm (4-14 in.) tall, singly or in clusters; 5-10 leaves, silvery-gray, on long pseudobulbs, twisted and narrowing into curved ends; simple flower spike (5-8 cm [2-3 in.] long), may have 2-4 lateral spikes, with 2-15 flowers; floral bracts 2-3 cm (3/4 - 1  1/8 in.), leathery, pale pink; lavender-blue petals, 2-3 cm (3/4 - 1  1/8 in.) long; mature seed capsules up to 4 cm (1  1/2 in.) long, grayish brown, pointed.

Time of flowering:  Spring - summer.


References
Coile NC. 2000. Notes on Florida's Endangered and Threatened Plants. FDACS/DPI, Bureau of Entomology, Nematology and Plant Pathology, Botany Section. Contribution No. 38, 3rd ed., Gainesville, FL. http://www.virtualherbarium.org/EPAC

Florida Natural Areas Inventory. 1997.  Matrix of Habitats and Distribution by County of Rare/Endangered Species of Florida. Florida Natural Areas Inventory/The Nature Conservancy.  http://www.fnai.org

Long RW, Lakela O. 1976. A Flora of Tropical Florida. Banyan Books, Miami. 178 p.

Luther HE, Benzing DH. 2009.  Native Bromeliads of Florida. Sarasota, FL. Pineapple Press, Inc.


Ward DB (ed.). 1979. Plants, Vol. 5. In: Rare and Endangered Biota of Florida, P.C.H. Pritchard (ed.). University Presses of Florida, Gainesville, 175 p.


UF IFAS logo FCBS logo


Home

  
Florida's Native Bromeliads

Web master: tmcooper@ufl.edu
Last update: 17 February 2016