Benzing & Renfrow 1971 (Article) Tillandsia, USA, Epiphyte

The Biology of the Epiphytic Bromeliad Tillandsia circinata Schlecht. I. The Nutrient Status of Populations in South Florida

Author(s):—D.H. Benzing & A. Renfrow

Publication:—American Journal of Botany 58(9): 867-873. (1971) — DOI

Abstract:—The atmospheric epiphyte Tillandsia circinata (Bromeliaceae) was observed and collected from six diverse habitats in south Florida. Calcium, K, N, Na, Mg, and P levels were determined in prefruiting, fruiting, and postfruiting rosettes from these plants. The mineral composition varied considerably among growth stages at a site and among sites within growth stages. By weight, Na tended to predominate while the other five elements were usually present at much lower levels. Potassium and P showed pronounced positive correlations with this epiphyte's vigor and reproductive capacity whereas the other elements did not show such correlations. Although T. circinata seems able to tolerate very low nutrient levels, these data suggest that its distribution and vigor are in part determined by nutritional factors which vary with habitat and host type. Plants growing on hosts with a large leaf surface area and where ant nidification is relatively common tend to be more vigorous and fruitful than those occurring in depauperate forests which support a sparse canopy. These latter hosts, however, often harbor numerous small epiphytes which produce a few small capsules per shoot.