Scientific name:  Tillandsia recurvata L.

Former name: Diaphoranthema recurvata (L.) Beer

Status in Florida: Not listed as threatened

Threats to this plant: None

Distribution: Southern U.S. (Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas), Mexico, Central America, West Indies, Argentina, Chile

Distribution in Florida: All counties

Occurrence in Florida: Common

Habitat: Hammocks (usually on broad-leaved trees), pinelands and scrub; usually in brightly exposed habitats

Description: Epiphytic; grows to 12-18 cm (5-7 in.) tall, 15-18 cm (6-7 in.) in diameter; rooted crown with cluster of curving stems and compact mass of leaves resulting in ball-like growth; leaves stiff, narrow, gray-green, not dilated at base (4-8 mm [1/8 - 1/3 in.] wide); 2-5 flowers, with blue to violet petals, on long stem growing from central mass of leaves; seed capsule up to 2 cm (3/4 in.) long; several plants often grow together in masses

Time of flowering: Spring-summer

References:
Arny, Nancy P. 1996. Spanish moss and ball moss. UF/IFAS FOR 52. School of Forest Resources and Conservation, Florida Cooperative Extension Service. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FR005

Flora of North America Association. 2000. Flora of North America, Vol. 22. http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/FNA

Long, Robert W. and Olga Lakela. 1976. A Flora of Tropical Florida. Banyan Books, Miami.

Wunderlin, Richard P. 1982. Guide to the Vascular Plants of Central Florida. University Presses of Florida, Tampa.

Wunderlin, Richard P. and Bruce F. Hansen. 2000. Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants. Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa. http://www.plantatlas.usf.edu