Editing Tillandsia

{{short description|Genus of flowering plants}}
{{Automatic taxobox
|image = Tillandsia fasciculata.jpg
|image_caption = ''[[Tillandsia fasciculata]]''
|taxon = Tillandsia
|authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]
|subdivision_ranks = Species
|subdivision = [[List of Tillandsia species|Over 650 species]]
|synonyms =
* ''Acanthospora'' <small>Spreng.</small>
* ''Allardtia''
* ''Diaphoranthema'' <small>Beer</small>
* ''Phytarrhiza'' <small>Vis.</small>
* ''Pityrophyllum'' <small>Beer</small>
* ''Platystachys'' <small>K.Koch</small>
* ''Racinaea'' <small>M.A.Spencer & L.B.Sm.</small>
* ×''Racindsia'' <small>Takiz.</small>
* ''Renealmia'' <small>L.</small>
* ''Strepsia'' <small>Steud.</small>
* ''Viridantha'' <small>Espejo</small>
* ''Wallisia'' <small>(Regel) E.Morren</small>
|synonyms_ref = <ref>{{cite web|url=http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/synonomy.do?name_id=268500|title=World Checklist of Selected Plant Families}}</ref>
}}

'''''Tillandsia''''' is a [[genus]] of around 650 [[species]] of [[evergreen]], [[perennial plant|perennial]] [[flowering plant]]s in the [[family (biology)|family]] [[Bromeliaceae]], native to the forests, mountains and deserts of the [[Neotropical realm|Neotropics]], from northern Mexico and the southeastern United States to Mesoamerica and the Caribbean to central Argentina. Their leaves, more or less silvery in color, are covered with specialized cells ([[trichome|trichomes]]) capable of rapidly absorbing water that gathers on them.<ref name="Mendoza">{{cite journal |last1=Granados-Mendoza |first1=Carolina |last2=Granados-Aguilar |first2=Xochitl |last3=Donadío |first3=Sabina |last4=Salazar |first4=Gerardo A. |last5=Flores-Cruz |first5=María |last6=Hágsater |first6=Eric |last7=Starr |first7=Julian R. |last8=Ibarra-Manríquez |first8=Guillermo |last9=Fragoso-Martínez |first9=Itzi |last10=Magallón |first10=Susana |title=Geographic structure in two highly diverse lineages of Tillandsia (Bromeliaceae)|display-authors=3|journal=Botany |date=March 1, 2017 |volume=95 |issue=7 |pages=641–651 |doi=10.1139/cjb-2016-0250 |url=https://pubag.nal.usda.gov/catalog/5731789 |access-date=9 February 2023|hdl=11336/46004 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

They are also commonly known as '''air plants''' because they obtain nutrients and water from the air, not needing soil for nourishment. They have a natural propensity to cling to whatever surfaces are readily available: telephone wires, tree branches, bark, bare rocks, etc. Their light seeds and a silky parachute facilitate their spread.<ref>{{PLANTS|id=TILLA2|taxon=Tillandsia|access-date=10 December 2015}}</ref>  Most ''Tillandsia'' species are [[epiphyte]]s – which translates to 'upon a plant'.<ref>Benzing, D. 2012. Air Plants: Epiphytes and Aerial Gardens. Ithaca: Comstock Publishing Associates.</ref> Some are [[aerophyte]]s, which have a minimal root system and grow on shifting desert soil. Due to their epiphytic way of life, these plants will not grow in soil but live on the branches of trees, in deserts and on other substrates that will not be saturated with water for very long.<ref>[https://www.jstor.org/pss/3237161 Galán de Mera, A., M. A. Hagen & J. A. Vicente Orellana (1999) Aerophyte, a New Life Form in Raunkiaer's Classification? ''Journal of Vegetation Science'' 10 (1): 65–68]</ref>

==Description==
[[File:Tillandsia stricta 2.jpg|thumb|219x219px|''[[Tillandsia stricta]]'']]
''Tillandsia'' are [[Perennial (plant)|perennial]] [[herbaceous plant]]s which exhibit a multitude of physiological and morphological differences making this a diverse genus. Having native habitats that vary from being epiphytic and [[saxicolous]], species have certain adaptations, such as root systems designed to anchor to other plants or substrates, and modified trichomes for water and nutrient intake. Some of the species, like the majority of [[Bromeliaceae]], grow as funnel bromeliads, with a compressed stem axis. The leaves are then close together in rosettes, and cover the lower areas of the leaves, forming a funnel for collecting water.<ref name="Mendoza" />

These leaf rosettes, a common physical characteristic in ''Tillandsia'' species, collect nutrients and water. The flowers typically involve bright, vibrant colors, with blooms or [[inflorescence]]s produced on a stalk or several stalks.<ref>Steens Andrew (2003); Bromeliads for the contemporary garden , Timber Press, Portland, USA. ({{ISBN|0-88192-604-3}})</ref> The flower's color varies greatly; red, yellow, purple and pink flowers exist in this genus, and multicolored flowers are known. The bright colors attract [[pollinator]]s. An air plant's foliage may also change color when it blooms, also attracting pollinators. The [[hermaphrodite]] flowers are threefold with double [[perianth]]. The three free [[sepal]]s are symmetrical and pointed. The seeds have a "parachute" similar to the [[dandelion]].<ref>Lyman B. Smith , RJ Downs: Tillandsioideae (Bromeliaceae). In: Flora Neotropica , vol. 14, 2, 1979, p. 665.</ref>

Common pollinators of this genus include [[moth]]s, [[hummingbird]]s and, more recently recognized, bats.<ref>Aguilar-Rodríguez, P., Macswiney, C., Krömer, T., García-Franco, J., Knauer, A., Kessler, M. March 2014. First record of bat-pollination in the species-rich genus Tillandsia (Bromeliaceae). Annals of Botany. Vol. 113(6) pp. 1047–1055.</ref>

==Taxonomy==
{{Main|List of Tillandsia species}}
The genus ''Tillandsia'' was named by [[Carl Linnaeus]] after the Swedish physician and botanist [[Elias Tillandz]] (originally Tillander) (1640–1693). Some common types of ''Tillandsia'' include [[ball moss]] (''T. recurvata'') and Spanish moss (''T. usneoides''). The genus contains around 650 species, where 635 are considered epiphytic.<ref name="Mendoza" /> ''Tillandsia'' was traditionally divided into seven [[subgenus|subgenera]]:<ref>{{cite journal|vauthors=Chew T, De Luna E, González D |year=2010 |title=Phylogenetic relationships of the pseudobulbous ''Tillandsia'' species (Bromeliaceae) inferred from cladistic analyses of ITS 2, 5.8S ribosomal RNA gene, and ETS sequences |journal=Systematic Botany |volume=35 |issue=1 |pages=86–95 |doi=10.1600/036364410790862632 |s2cid=86162509 |url=http://www.filogenetica.org/deluna_pdfs/10Tillandsia.pdf |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150323081845/http://www.filogenetica.org/deluna_pdfs/10Tillandsia.pdf |archive-date=March 23, 2015 }}</ref>
* [[Tillandsia subg. Allardtia|''Tillandsia'' subg. ''Allardtia'']] <small>(A. Dietr) Baker</small>
* [[Tillandsia subg. Anoplophytum|''Tillandsia'' subg. ''Anoplophytum'']] <small>(Beer) Baker</small>
* [[Tillandsia subg. Diaphoranthema|''Tillandsia'' subg. ''Diaphoranthema'']] <small>(Beer) Baker</small>
* [[Tillandsia subg. Phytarrhiza|''Tillandsia'' subg. ''Phytarrhiza'']] <small>(Vis.) Baker</small>
* ''Tillandsia'' subg. ''Pseudalcantarea'' <small>Mez</small>, now raised to the genus ''[[Pseudalcantarea]]''
* ''Tillandsia'' subg. ''Pseudo-catopsis'' <small>Baker</small>
* [[Tillandsia subg. Tillandsia|''Tillandsia'' subg. ''Tillandsia'']]

In a more recent (2016) classification, the following subgenera are recognized:<ref name="BARFUSS TILL LEME PINZÓN 2016 p=1">{{cite journal | last1=Barfuss | first1=Michael H.J. | last2=Till | first2=Walter | last3=Leme | first3=Elton M.C. | last4=Pinzón | first4=Juan P. | last5=Manzanares | first5=José M. | last6=Halbritter | first6=Heidemarie | last7=Samuel | first7=Rosabelle | last8=Brown | first8=Gregory K. | title=Taxonomic revision of Bromeliaceae subfam. Tillandsioideae based on a multi-locus DNA sequence phylogeny and morphology | journal=Phytotaxa | publisher=Magnolia Press | volume=279 | issue=1 | date=2016-10-13 | issn=1179-3163 | doi=10.11646/phytotaxa.279.1.1 | page=1}}</ref>
* [[Tillandsia subg. Aerobia|''Tillandsia'' subg. ''Aerobia'']] <small>Mez in C.DC.</small>
* [[Tillandsia subg. Anoplophytum|''Tillandsia'' subg. ''Anoplophytum'']] <small>(Beer) Baker</small>
* [[Tillandsia subg. Diaphoranthema|''Tillandsia'' subg. ''Diaphoranthema'']] <small>(Beer) Baker</small>
* [[Tillandsia subg. Phytarrhiza|''Tillandsia'' subg. ''Phytarrhiza'']] <small>(Vis.) Baker</small>
* [[Tillandsia subg. Pseudovriesea|''Tillandsia'' subg. ''Pseudovriesea'']] <small>Barfuss & W.Till</small>
* [[Tillandsia subg. Tillandsia|''Tillandsia'' <small>L.</small> subg. ''Tillandsia'']]
* [[Tillandsia subg. Viridantha |''Tillandsia'' subg. ''Viridantha'']] <small>(Espejo) W.Till & Barfuss</small>

Four species are protected under CITES II:<ref>{{cite web|title=Appendices I, II and III valid from 5 February 2015*|url=http://www.cites.org/eng/app/appendices.php|website=CITES|access-date=23 February 2015}}</ref>
* ''[[Tillandsia harrisii]]'' 
* ''[[Tillandsia kammii]]''
* ''[[Tillandsia mauryana]]''
* ''[[Tillandsia xerographica]]''

==Range==
[[File:Tillandsia xerographica (TS) 2-06882.jpg|thumb|''Tillandsia xerographica'' in its natural habitat in [[El Salvador]] near Los Cobanos beach]]
''Tillandsia'' have naturally been established in diverse environments such as equatorial tropical rain forests, high elevation [[Andes]] mountains, rock dwelling (saxicolous) regions, and Louisiana swamps, such as [[Spanish moss]] (''T. usneoides''), a species that grows atop tree limbs. However, there are also species that are [[lithophytic]] (growing in or on rocks, though this can also stretch to living on roofs or even telephone wires). Its native range is Tropical & Subtropical America.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tillandsia L. {{!}} Plants of the World Online {{!}} Kew Science |url=http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:328340-2 |access-date=2022-03-04 |website=Plants of the World Online |language=en}}</ref>

Green-leaved species of ''Tillandsia'' generally live in cool-to-humid climates, in areas of terrestrial shade or the lower levels of a forest.<ref>Rauh Werner (1970 vol.1, 1973, vol.2); Bromelien , Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart. / Bromeliads (English translation, 1979), Blandford Press. ( {{ISBN|0-7137-0845-X}} )</ref> In contrast, almost all gray-leaved species live in precipitation-poor areas with high [[humidity]]. They prefer the full sun and can therefore be found in the upper floors of the woods, on rocks or (rarely) on the ground. Many of the gray species are epiphytes. Some species are more or less [[xeromorph]]ic.<ref>Elvira Groß : Beautiful Tillandsien. Ulmer, Stuttgart 1992, {{ISBN|3-8001-6501-5}}</ref>

==Ecology==
Species of ''Tillandsia'' [[Photosynthesis|photosynthesize]] through a process called [[Crassulacean acid metabolism|CAM cycle]], where they close their [[stomata]] during the day to prevent water loss and open them at night to fix [[carbon dioxide]] and release [[oxygen]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Groot Crego |first1=Clara |last2=Hess |first2=Jaqueline |last3=Yardeni |first3=Gil |last4=de La Harpe |first4=Marylaure |last5=Priemer |first5=Clara |last6=Beclin |first6=Francesca |last7=Saadain |first7=Sarah |last8=Cauz-Santos |first8=Luiz A |last9=Temsch |first9=Eva M |last10=Weiss-Schneeweiss |first10=Hanna |last11=Barfuss |first11=Michael H J |last12=Till |first12=Walter |last13=Weckwerth |first13=Wolfram |last14=Heyduk |first14=Karolina |last15=Lexer |first15=Christian |date=2024-04-30 |title=CAM evolution is associated with gene family expansion in an explosive bromeliad radiation |url=https://academic.oup.com/plcell/advance-article/doi/10.1093/plcell/koae130/7658667 |journal=The Plant Cell |volume=36 |issue=10 |pages=4109–4131 |language=en |doi=10.1093/plcell/koae130 |pmid=38686825 |pmc=11449062 |issn=1040-4651}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=David H. Benzing |year=2008 |title=Vascular Epiphytes: General Biology and Related Biota |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |isbn=9780521048958 |page=53 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-uqLQfbXl-kC&pg=PA53}}</ref> This allows them to preserve water, necessary because they are epiphytes. They do not have a functional root system and instead absorb water in small amounts through their leaves via small structures called trichomes. Species of ''Tillandsia'' also absorb their nutrients from debris and dust in the air.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Benzing|first1=David H.|last2=Burt|first2=Kathleen M.|date=1970|title=Foliar Permeability Among Twenty Species of the Bromeliaceae|jstor=2483646|journal=Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club|volume=97|issue=5|pages=269–279|doi=10.2307/2483646}}</ref>

Any root system found on ''Tillandsia'' has grown to act as a fragile stabilizing scaffold to grip the surface they grow on. As soon as they have been soaked with water, the green assimilation tissue below the suction scales becomes visible again, the plant is therefore "greened". Now the plant can absorb more light. When the sun dries the plants, they turn white. Thanks to this special survival trick, plants without roots can absorb fog droplets as well as rainwater and thus cover their water needs.<ref>Klaus Labude: Tillandsien. Tetra publishing house, Bissendorf Wulften, 2002, {{ISBN|3-89745-155-7}}</ref>

More than one-third of a tropical forest's vascular plants are epiphytes which species of ''Tillandsia'' are part of. Their contribution to the environment's [[carrying capacity]] allows for terrestrial fauna like earthworms to thrive in the treetops.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Benzing|first=David|title=Air Plants : Epiphytes and Aerial Gardens|publisher=Cornell University Press|year=2012|isbn=9780801463877|location=Proquest|pages=197–198}}</ref>

Temperature is not critical, the range being from {{convert|10|to|32|C|F}}. Frost hardiness depends on the species. [[Tillandsia usneoides|''T. usneoides'']], for example, can tolerate night-time frosts down to about {{convert|-10|C|F}}. For most species, the ideal growth temperature is between {{convert|20|and|25|C|F}}, with a minimum of {{convert|10|C|F}} and a maximum of {{convert|30|C|F}}. Few are resistant to {{convert|-10|C|F}}, but some, usually from higher elevation areas, are hardy enough to withstand light and brief freezes and live outdoors year round in areas with mild winters.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Benzing|first1=David H.|last2=Dahle|first2=Christopher E.|date=1971|title=The Vegetative Morphology, Habitat Preference and Water Balance Mechanisms of the Bromeliad Tillandsia ionantha Planch|jstor=2423907|journal=The American Midland Naturalist|volume=85|issue=1|pages=11–21|doi=10.2307/2423907}}</ref>

==Cultivation==
[[File:Bathing tillandsia.jpg|thumb|Bathing ''Tillandsia'']]
[[File:Tillandsia argentea.jpg|thumb|''[[Tillandsia argentea]]'']]
Tillandsias, like other bromeliads, can multiply through pollination and seed formation. Since Tillandsia are not self-fertile, the pollen must come from another plant of the same species. Tillandsia, depending on the species, may take months or years to flower. After flowering, the plant forms [[Offset (botany)|offsets]] and dies.<ref>{{cite book |last=Groß |first=Elvira |title=Tillandsia for room and conservatory |date=2001 |publisher=Ulmer |isbn=3-8001-3222-2}}</ref>

Generally, the thinner-leafed varieties grow in rainy areas and the thick-leafed varieties in areas more subject to drought. Most species absorb moisture and nutrients through the leaves from rain, dew, dust, decaying leaves and insect matter, aided by structures called [[trichome]]s.<ref>{{cite book |last=Steens |first=Andrew |date=2007 |title=Bromeliads connoisseur's guide |publisher=Random House |location=London |isbn=978-1-86962-127-8}}</ref> Air plants are growing rapidly in popularity as a low maintenance household plant. Due to their minimal [[root|root system]] and other adaptations, they generally do not require frequent watering, no more than four times a week, allowing the plant to completely dry before watering again.<ref>{{cite book |last=Kawollek |first=Wolfgang |title=Tillandsien – species and culture |publisher=Naturbuch Verlag |date=1992 |isbn=3-89440-038-2}}</ref>

The amount of light required depends on the species; overall, air plants with silver dusting and stiff foliage will require more sunlight than air plants with softer foliage. They generally need a strong light. In summer outside, however, they prefer the light shade of a tree at the hottest hours. Plants are commonly seen mounted, placed in a [[terrarium]], or simply placed in [[seashell]]s as decorative pieces.<ref>Cuzenic Stephan & Lévêque Daniel (2005); Tillandsias and other Bromeliads, Eugen Ulmer, Paris. ({{ISBN|2-84138-245-1}})</ref> For so-called "aerial" species (the majority of the common species in culture except ''[[Tillandsia cyanea]]''), that is to say those whose roots are transformed into [[crampon]]s without any power of absorption, watering is done by the leaves in the form of frequent sprays, or brief soaking of the plant in a container full of water.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.urbanorganicyield.com/how-to-water-air-plants/|title=How To Water Air Plants The Right Way To Keep Your Air Plant Alive|last=Hayland|first=Lindsey|website=Urban Organic Yield|date=31 May 2019}}</ref> Non-[[hard water|calcareous water]] is recommended.<ref>Instructions: Care for Air Plants (Tillandsia). Wedgewood Gardens. Available from: http://www.wedgewoodgardens.com/Care_Sheet_-_Air_Plants.pdf</ref>

{{as of|2023}} there are  34 cultivars of bromeliad registered by Bromeliad Society International, from ''T. Bacchus'' to ''T. Yabba''.<ref>{{cite web | title=BCR Bromeliad Cultivar Register> | website=BSI | date=19 February 2011 | url=https://www.bsi.org/registry/index.php?fields=&id=8337 | language=lt | access-date=11 October 2023}}</ref>


==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Epífitas en los cables de la luz eléctrica.JPG|''[[Tillandsia recurvata]]'' and another Bromeliaceae species on electric wires near [[San Juan de los Morros]], [[Venezuela]]
File:Blushing Bride Airplant (Tillandsia ionantha).jpg|''[[Tillandsia ionantha]]'' with bright-coloured foliage during full bloom. Some foliage has a light, silver dusting which can be easily scratched off
File:T ionantha bloom.jpg|''Tillandsia ionantha'' in bloom
File:Bromeliacea tillandsia fasciculata swartz.jpg|''Tillandsia fasciculata''
File:Tillandsia bergeri.jpg|''Tillandsia bergeri''
File:空氣鳳梨 20190409105748.jpg|''Tillandsia'', 2018 Taichung World Flora Exposition, Taiwan
File:Curly_airplant_on_rock.jpg|''Tillandsia streptophylla'' growing on a limestone rock
File:T ianotha seed pods.jpg|Seed pods on ''T. ionantha'' in the center of the rosette 
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Commons category-inline|Tillandsia}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q157270}}
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[[Category:Tillandsia| ]]
[[Category:Epiphytes]]
[[Category:Bromeliaceae genera]]