Help identifying this epiphyte

Hello

I'm curious about what species this plant I have might be. I've it for years and I think it is an epiphyte, living suspended on a wall. I heard once someone call it (in portuguese) "cravo aéreo", that translates into "aerial carnation".

Thank you
mgoncalves

 

From the inflorescences it appears to be some form of Bromeliad. But I can't make it out well enough to offer a species name. I'd suggest you check the photo at Bromeliad Encyclopedia, Florida Council of Bromeliad Societies

http://fcbs.org/

You might send them a photo as well.

 

Steve is right...it is a bromeliad, a Tillandsia. As to which Tillandsia I'm not quite sure

Ed

 

Depending on where you originally got this specimen, it may be a hybrid. The inflorescences appear to be a hybrid between a Tillandisa and an Neorregelia due to the shape of the inflorescence (flower). There are people who spend their entire lives studying this single group so you'll need to find one of them to give you a positive opinion.

Like many other plants from the family of Bromeliaceae, Tillandsia species are now commonly being hybridized to create new, colorful and interesting houseplants. There are nearly 400 species in the Bromeliad subgroup Tillandsioidea. Some sources say it is the largest most diverse, group of plants in the Bromeliad world.

Found tropically throughout the world, most are epiphytic like your plant and are found growing on the sides and up in the branches of rainforest trees. A few unusual species actually grow on rocks, so it would appear you've got one of those. Some plants from this genus are commonly found in the Everglades of South Florida. In a few odd species the lower portion of the leaf is spoon shaped. The inflorescence is almost always spectacular and in some species is actually blue or partially blue.

 

Are you serious, Steve? Crossing a Tilly and a Neo??? I've never heard of that!! (As text is unemotional, I'm not being rude, I'm just amazed and curious )
Tillandsia's have different inflorescence's, "flat" or "rose" types and I agree, more than likely a hybrid, but I would of thought a hybrid of 2 Tillandsia's due to the typical Tilly foliage and inflorescence. I think Steve knows something I don't......do tell, please...

Ed :)

 

I've grown two in my atrium that were verified by the tissue culture company as crosses between the two. Also got confirmation from the Florida Bromeliad Society well over a year ago it is possible. Weird, but it happens.

 

Here's a photo of one of my hybrids. The inflorescence appears to be Neorregelia. This one was ID's by a collector in Australia as well as one in Florida.

 

Well you learn something new everyday, thanks for that.
I might be out of my league here but that "rosette" looks like a classic Tillandsia rosette. Neo's flowers are insignificant (to some)and barely emerge above the water line in the crown. I've never seen a Neo inflorescence that looks like that!! Maybe I've been living under a rock.I'm at work at the moment and all my bromeliad books are at home so I will have to look this afternoon...

Ed

 

None of the plants shown here look like Neoregelias at all, unless some that used to belong to Tillandsia got moved into Neoregelia.

 

Possibly Ron, but I don't think so. Then again, I'm just a grower...not a botanist :)

That first photo if I was to say that flower was anything BUT Tillandsia, I would have to say Billbergia, not Neo...

Ed

 

I've read a ton about bromiliads and photographed them in the wild but make no claim to being any form of expert of these. The information about the cross between Neoregelia and Tillislandia came right off the tissue culture company tag. I thought it was strange as well and sent this photo to a guy in Australia who is big in bromeliads and also to Florida. Both came back with the same answer. If someone has a better one, I'm all ears.

 

The one first asked about might be on one of these pages. There are many species, will probably have to start checking detailed descriptions after getting pointed in a certain direction by pictures in order to hit on the right species name. If a nearby collection or sales area had the same one on hand it might be possible to match that with yours also.

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=tillandsia&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=1

 

The Tillandsia cyanea looks real close.

 

Oh I believe you Steve....just in my personal opinion I fail to see any resemblence to Neo's (in both pics) in either the inflorescence or the leaves!! I guess you can't argue with tissue culture....
Just another mystery (for me anyway, I just can't get my head around it) in the plant world. Love it!! :)

Ed

 

Looks pretty close mate

 

Since it was a tissue lab maybe they have something going on where they are producing bigeneric hybrids through direct manipulation of genes, perhaps producing new crosses not previously seen using cross-pollination (using pollen).

 

Could be. The more I learn about virtually all plant species the less I know!

 

LOL Steve.....it certainly seems like that at times...but this one is really doing my head in!!

Ed

 

I think the only way anyone will know for certain what the one on the wall is would be get have a Bromeliad expert give an opinion. By the way, rather than an epiphyte, in this case it is more lithophitic, "a lover of stone", since it is growing on concrete. Epiphytic literally means a plant that grows on another plant.

 

I thought when it grew on rocks it was called "saxicolous"...

I agree, get the brom expert in, but no matter what the result, I still can't see any resemblence to Neo's. There are Tillandsia's that look like both pics, that have no mention of being a hybrid.
Steve if yours is T. cyanea shouldn't there be a mention in the botanical name of being a hybrid, like T. cyane X N. whatever??
Again probably out of my league...

Ed

 

Plant forms that grow on rocks have several different names and I've never been sure which one applies to which group of plants. Saxicolous is a correct term but so is Lithophyte and I've also seen others. I'm not sure if the term is species specific or just what?? Is there a botanist is the crowd?

 

What about my hybrid question, Steve....
...and where is that botanist????

 

In hybrid names the "X" is often only used when the exact parents are known. In the case of mine no specific parent was specified so I have no idea. I also see many hybrids where the hybridizer just likes to make up some name form. That is what happened with the "hybrid" that was given the name Philodendron 'Xanadu'. Crazy part about that one is the botanists just decided to use the xanadu when they determined it to be a species rather than a hybrid.

By the way, I received an odd letter the other day from someone who identified themselves only as an Australian grower. The letter appeared to be attempting to convince me Philodendron xanadu was actually found in the rain forests of Australia. I think you know the story on that one already!

I'm sending a note to a botanist friend today asking about the different terms used to describe plants that grow on stone.

 

OK, here's the technical answer regarding plants that grow on rocks. This came from my friend Leland Miyano in Hawaii,

"Aloha. The terms saxicolous, rupicolous, rupestrine,
and lithophyte or lithophytic are basically terms that
describe plants that grow on or among rocks.
Lithophytes differ in that some definitions specify
that these rock plants derive most of their nutrients
from the atmosphere. They are not species specific,
but you may run across terms like facultative and
obligate. Facultative species are those that may be
found in a particular habitat, but is not restricted
to those conditions...ie. adaptable. Obligate species
are always found in a particular habitat and cannot
live outside of those narrow conditions. I do not
know of specific examples of rock loving plants that
are obligate...but there are serpentine rock floras
that may be obligate to serpentine rock as the
chemical composition of the rock and associated pH and
nutrients are highly specific. Many rock loving
plants are also heliophytes...sun loving and adapted
to full sun exposures."

 

Thank you all for answering.
Maybe my plant is a Tillandsia aeranthos... what do you think?

mgoncalves