Tillandsia ionantha | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Clade: | Commelinids |
Order: | Poales |
Family: | Bromeliaceae |
Genus: | Tillandsia |
Subgenus: | Tillandsia subg. Tillandsia |
Species: | T. ionantha
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Binomial name | |
Tillandsia ionantha Planchon
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Synonyms[1] | |
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Tillandsia ionantha, the air plant (a common name shared by most species in its genus),[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]
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]
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]
Two varieties are recognized:[1]