''Tillandsia ionantha'', the air plant, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of plant in the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

''Tillandsia''. This species is

native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

and

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

. It is also reportedly naturalized in

Broward County, Florida Broward County ( , ) is a county in the southeastern part of Florida, located in the Miami metropolitan area. It is Florida's second-most populous county after Miami-Dade County and the 17th-most populous in the United States, with over 1.94 m ...

.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
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Description

They are

acaulescent This glossary of botanical terms is a list of definitions of terms and concepts relevant to botany and plants in general. Terms of plant morphology are included here as well as at the more specific Glossary of plant morphology and Glossary o ...

or sometimes shortly caulescent plants, with a size of 6–8 cm high. The leaves 4–9 cm long; with pods 0.6–1 cm wide, densely patent fabric; narrow triangular sheets, 0.3-0.4 cm wide, dense lepidota indument, foliaceous bracts; compound

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

(of simple appearance due to the reduction of the spikes to 1 flower), with 1-3 flowers, primary foliaceous bracts, much longer than the spikes, floral bracts 3 cm long, longer than the

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...

s and covering them in the

anthesis Anthesis is the period during which a flower is fully open and functional. It may also refer to the onset of that period. The onset of anthesis is spectacular in some species. In ''Banksia'' species, for example, anthesis involves the extension ...

, ecarinated, inconspicuously nervate,

glabrous Glabrousness (from the Latin ''glaber'' meaning "bald", "hairless", "shaved", "smooth") is the technical term for a lack of hair, down, setae, trichomes or other such covering. A glabrous surface may be a natural characteristic of all or part of ...

membranous A membrane is a selective barrier; it allows some things to pass through but stops others. Such things may be molecules, ions, or other small particles. Membranes can be generally classified into synthetic membranes and biological membranes. ...

sessile Sessility, or sessile, may refer to: * Sessility (motility), organisms which are not able to move about * Sessility (botany), flowers or leaves that grow directly from the stem or peduncle of a plant * Sessility (medicine), tumors and polyps that ...

flowers; sepals are 2 cm long, free, the posterior

carinate Carinate is a shape in pottery, glassware and artistic design usually applied to amphorae or vases. The shape is defined by the joining of a rounded base to the sides of an inward sloping vessel. This design is seen in ancient cultures such as ...

, the anterior ecarinated; purple petals. Capsules are 2.5-4.5 cm long.

Taxonomy

''Tillandsia ionantha'' was described by

Jules Emile Planchon Jules is the French form of the Latin "Julius" (e.g. Jules César, the French name for Julius Caesar). It is the given name of: People with the name *Jules Aarons (1921–2008), American space physicist and photographer *Jules Abadie (1876–195 ...

and published in

Flore des Serres et des Jardins de l'Europe ''Flore des Serres et des Jardins de l'Europe'' (French for ''Flowers of the Greenhouses and Gardens of Europe'') (18451888) was one of the finest horticulture journals produced in Europe during the 19th century, spanning 23 volumes and over 200 ...

10: 101, t. 1006. 1854-1855

855 __NOTOC__ Year 855 ( DCCCLV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * November 20 – Theoktistos, co-regent of the Empire on behalf of ...

Etymology *''Tillandsia'': generic name that was named by Carl Linnaeus in 1738 in honor of the Finnish doctor and botanist

Elias Tillandz Elias Tillandz (1640–1693; born Tillander) was a Swedish-born doctor and botanist who worked in Finland. He was the professor of medicine at the Academy of Turku. He wrote the country's first botanical work, the '' Catalogus Plantarum'', which w ...

(originally Tillander ) (1640-1693). *''ionantha'': epithet Latin meaning "with violet flowers"CONABIO 2009. Taxonomic catalog of species of Mexico. 1. In Capital Nat. Mexico. CONABIO, Mexico City. * Synonymy *Tillandsia ionantha f. fastigiata P.Koide *Tillandsia ionantha var. Max Ehlers *Tillandsia ionantha var. LBSmith scaposa *Tillandsia ionantha var. P.Koide stricta *Tillandsia ionantha var. van-hyningii MBFoster *Tillandsia ionantha var. zebrina BTFoster *Tillandsia rubentifolia Poisson & Menet *Tillandsia scopus Hook. F. 4

Varieties

Two varieties are recognized: #''Tillandsia ionantha'' var. ''ionantha'' - most of species range #''Tillandsia ionantha'' var. ''stricta'' Koide - Oaxaca

Gallery

File:Matthaei Botanical Gardens - IMG 8999.JPG, A plant in display File:Tillandsia ionantha - Lyman Plant House, Smith College - DSC04227.JPG, On a display File:Tilandsia Ionantha flower.jpg, Inflorescence closeup File:Tillandsia ionantha 2.jpg, Flowering on a fence File:Tillandsia ionantha "Druid".jpg, Cultivar ''Tillandsia'' 'Druid' File:20100522 Tillandsia Victoria.jpg, Cultivar ''Tillandsia'' 'Victoria'

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1937140 ionantha Flora of Costa Rica Flora of Mexico