Tillandsia ionantha

Tillandsia ionantha, the air plant,[2] is a species of plant in the genus Tillandsia. This species is native to Central America and Mexico. It is also reportedly naturalized in Broward County, Florida.[1][3][4][5]

Tillandsia ionantha
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Bromeliaceae
Genus: Tillandsia
Subgenus: Tillandsia subg. Tillandsia
Species:
T. ionantha
Binomial name
Tillandsia ionantha
Planchon
Synonyms[1]
  • Pityrophyllum gracile Beer
  • Tillandsia rubentifolia Poiss. & Menet

Description

They are acaulescent or sometimes shortly caulescent plants, with a size of 6–8 cm high. The leaves are 4–9 cm long; with pods 0.6–1 cm wide, densely patent fabric; narrow triangular sheets, 0.3–0.4 cm wide, dense lepidota indument, foliaceous bracts; compound inflorescence (of simple appearance due to the reduction of the spikes to 1 flower), with 1–3 flowers, primary foliaceous bracts, much longer than the spikes, floral bracts 3 cm long, longer than the sepals and covering them in the anthesis, ecarinated, inconspicuously nervate, glabrous, membranous, sessile flowers; sepals are 2 cm long, free, the posterior carinate, the anterior ecarinated; purple petals. Capsules are 2.5–4.5 cm long.[6]

Taxonomy

Tillandsia ionantha was described by Jules Emile Planchon and published in Flore des Serres et des Jardins de l'Europe 10: 101, t. 1006. 1854–1855 [1855].[7]

Etymology
  • Tillandsia: generic name that was named by Carl Linnaeus in 1738 in honor of the Finnish doctor and botanist Elias Tillandz (originally Tillander; 1640–1693).[8]
  • ionantha: epithet Latin meaning "with violet flowers"[9]

Synonymy
  • Tillandsia ionantha f. fastigiata P.Koide
  • Tillandsia ionantha var. Max Ehlers
  • Tillandsia ionantha var. scaposa LBSmith
  • Tillandsia ionantha var. stricta P.Koide
  • Tillandsia ionantha var. van-hyningii MBFoster
  • Tillandsia ionantha var. zebrina BTFoster
  • Tillandsia rubentifolia Poisson & Menet
  • Tillandsia scopus Hook. F. 4

Varieties

Two varieties are recognized:[1]

  1. Tillandsia ionantha var. ionantha – most of species range
  2. Tillandsia ionantha var. stricta Koide – Oaxaca
  • A plant in display
    A plant in display
  • On a display
    On a display
  • Inflorescence closeup
    Inflorescence closeup
  • Flowering on a fence
    Flowering on a fence
  • Cultivar Tillandsia 'Druid'
    Cultivar Tillandsia 'Druid'
  • Cultivar Tillandsia 'Victoria'
    Cultivar Tillandsia 'Victoria'

References
  1. Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  2. USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Tillandsia ionantha". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  3. Luther, Harry E. (1995). "An Annotated Checklist of the Bromeliaceae of Costa Rica". Selbyana. 16 (2): 230–234. ISSN 0361-185X. JSTOR 41759911.
  4. Espejo-Serna, Adolfo; López-Ferrari, Ana Rosa; Ramírez-morillo, Ivón; Holst, Bruce K.; Luther, Harry E.; Till, Walter (1 June 2004). "Checklist of Mexican Bromeliaceae with Notes on Species Distribution and Levels of Endemism". Selbyana. 25 (1): 33–86. ISSN 2689-0682. JSTOR 41760147.
  5. Biota of North America Program, 2013 county distribution map
  6. Cáceres González, DA, K. Schulte, M. Schmidt & G. Zizka. 2013. Diversity and levels of endemism of the Bromeliaceae of Costa Rica - an updated checklist. PhytoKeys 29: 17-61.
  7. Davidse, G., M. Sousa Sánchez & AO Chater. 1994. Alismataceae to Cyperaceae. 6: i-xvi, 1-543. In G. Davidse, M. Sousa Sánchez & AO Chater (eds.) Fl. Mesoamer .. National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City
  8. Morales Quirós, JF 2003. Bromeliaceae. In: Manual of Plants of Costa Rica, BE Hammel, MH Grayum, C. Herrera & N. Zamora (eds.). Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 92: 297-375.
  9. CONABIO 2009. Taxonomic catalog of species of Mexico. 1. In Capital Nat. Mexico. CONABIO, Mexico City.
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