Field Trips ~ Colloquium

Week 1 13-May-12

FGCU Campus Trail Walk

Bridge from garage to academia

Solar powered compactors

Some woods

A walkway into some woods

A little camera strap near some moss

Please Take Out Everything You Brought in. -No Trash Left Behind

I think we learned that these were airplants in my Biology of Southwest Florida class.

EDIT: Yep, here's the wiki: Common names for Tillandsia include air plant, Ball moss (T. recurvata) and Spanish moss, the latter referring to T. usneoides in particular. Tillandsia are epiphytes and need no soil because water and nutrients are absorbed through the leaves. The roots are used as anchors only. Reproduction is by seeds or by offsets called "pups". A single plant could have up to a dozen pups.

Indoor arrangement of six Tillandsia plants mounted on a log section.

Although not normally cultivated for their flowers, some Tillandsia will bloom on a regular basis. In addition, it is quite common for some species to take on a different leaf colour (usually changing from green to red) when about to flower. This is an indication that the plant is monocarpic (flowers once before dying) but offsets around the flowering plant will continue to thrive. Temperature is not critical, the range being from 32°C down to 10°C. They are sensitive to frost, except for the hardiest species, T. usneoides, which can tolerate night-time frosts down to about -10°C. Tillandsia is a primary ingredient in an herbal supplement to treat pollen allergies.