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Tillandsia polystachia

(L.) L. (1762)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Monocots Order: Poales Family: Bromeliaceae Genus: Tillandsia

air plant

Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form:

Stems:

Roots:

Leaves:

Flowers:

Fruit:

Ploidy:

Habitat:

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Uses and Culture

USES

  • Yes

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Naturalized
Hawai'i Potentially naturalizing

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Sp. Pl. ed. 2: 410 (1762)

Other References

Staples & Herbst 2005:642 (KEY); Frohlich & Lau 2010:9 (NEWNAT/O, DESCR); Faccenda, Arthur, et al. 2025:165 (K)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Tillandsia polystachia Pauoa Valley, off booth road in yard. UTM 620780, 2358473 Blanketing main branches on a 20 ft tall cypress. Preserved_Specimen Floral bracts red, no flowers noted. Seeds dark, with long, silky pappus at tip. OED 2008081401 Oahu BISH 2008-08-14
2 Tillandsia polystachia Koloa District. Lawai area, west of old Japanese cemetery off Hailima Road, just below Marjories Kauai Inn Bed & Breakfast Slope with secondary forest Preserved_Specimen Epiphytic herbs, plants mostly solitary, sometimes clumping, lvs. Med. Green, glabrous, recurved. Inflorescence erect, scape tinged brick red, bracts green basally, brick red apically, fruits green Lorence, D.H. 10452 Kauai BISH 2014-04-28
3 Tillandsia polystachia Moanalua Valley, ~270 m. ma kai from Moanalua District Park. In monkeypod tree next to channelized Moanalua stream. 10m away from houses. these plants are clearly naturalized as they were found in the mid canopy of the tree, above where people can reach and needed to be knocked down with a stick. Preserved_Specimen Arthur, K. 85 Oahu BISH 2025-02-28
4 Tillandsia polystachia Hilo and Puna Districts Densely blanketing trees in the Hilo Arboretum and Keaau Shipman Park. Branches break because of excess weight. Some individuals are growing directly on the powerline. Host trees: Cassia sp., palms, Tabebula, etc. Preserved_Specimen Epiphytic herbs, sometimes solitary, mostly clumping. Leaves, green, glabrous, recurved. Inflorescence erect, scape-tinged brick red, bracts green basally, brick red apically. The fruit is a capsule containing many small, wind-dispersed seedes. Naturalized Murphy, M. 218 Hawaii BISH 2022-08-14
5 Tillandsia polystachia Koloa, Lawai Valley, Allerton Estate, NE side of Diana Fountain on Dracaena Preserved_Specimen epiphyte; leaves dark green olive green; scape yellow green; bracts green, reddish margins; some seeds geminating in infructescence Flynn, T.W. 7350 Kauai BISH 2007-07-26
6 Tillandsia polystachia Pauoa Valley, off Booth Road UTM 2358717, 620993 Preserved_Specimen Epiphytic on upper branches of lychee tree, leaves green, occasionally upper leaves red, seeds with silky pubescent tuft. OED 2008081405 Oahu BISH 2008-08-14
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