The Plant

Tillandsia fasciculata is a plant of stunning diversity with an impressive international range. Many, many different-looking forms exist, some restricted to single habitats. Some forms are so widespread that one would be hard pressed to guess their country of origin. Not so the Floridian fasciculata. Any Tillandsia enthusiast could likely identify a plant from Florida. They are among the most beautiful and variable representatives of the species found anywhere (Fig. 1).

A possible reason was once explained to me by Harry Luther at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. Harry was the beloved director of the Bromeliad Identification Center. He theorized that Florida's bromeliad flora arose from many repeated introductions; "The airborne seed of the Tillandsioids can easily travel for enormous distances. Hurricanes can hit the Bahamas, Caribbean and Central America before making landfall in Florida. There is potential for airborne Tillandsia seed, or even plants on debris reaching Florida."

There are several official forms in Florida; Tillandsia fasciculata var. fasciculata, T. fasciculata var. clavispica, T. fasciculata var. densispica and T. fasciculata var. densispica forma alba. Harry also explained; "Frequent inter-breeding of forms and fresh introductions leads to a great diversity of morphological characteristics. Most varieties of Tillandsia fasciculata occur in overlapping ranges in Florida. It is easier to find mutations than clean representatives of some varieties."

True forms of Tillandsia fasciculata var. densispica tend to have an erect inflorescence. They form a spiraling rosette of 30 to 50 leaves. In Florida forms, leaves are narrow, strap-like, channeled and gray to gray-green. A typical inflorescence is 8 to 16 inches tall but can reach 24 inches. It has three to fifteen branches that can vary from 2 to 8 inches long with red bracts and blue to violet flowers, but any keen observer will discover variations. They may include longer or shorter spikes and branches. Nodding to pendant as well as typical erect inflorescences all living together. Colors range from deep red to pink, green, yellow, orange and purple. Some have bicolored spikes and combinations of all these occur (Figs. 2 and 3). Even forma alba shows variation. Some show a light blush of pink with flowers varying from pure white to those tinted light violet.

Did I mention hybrids with other species? Tillandsia balbisiana shares most of the range of Tillandsia fasciculata in Florida, blooming at the same time. Tillandsia balbisiana crossed with Tillandsia fasciculata var. densispica is the putative parentage of Tillandsia x smalliana. Do these hybrids, themselves variable, back-cross with Tillandsia fasciculata? No one knows for sure. One day DNA studies may unravel the mystery.

The Painting...