Tillandsia geissei R.A.Philippi

Literature references:

FCBS (Web): Harms 1937: 38:369 J. Bromeliad Soc.: 35:164b Oliva-Esteve 2002: 120 Palmengarten: 56(s):101 Pinto & Kirberg 2005: 18, 19, 104-107 Roguenant 2001: 382d Smith & Downs 1977: 813,814 Till & Vitek 1985: 212:270b

Comments:

• Detail from Tillandsia del Norte de Chile etc 18-9. 2005
  Tillandsia geissei Philippi
  
  Plant a rosette, 10-15 cm high and 15-20cm diameter. Roots that adhere to host or rocks. Leaves lepidote, thin, soft, triangular, those in the centre with reddish tint to translucent, 10-30 cm x 2.5 cm, the upper parts towards the tip becoming involute. When the plant is about 10 cm diameter cm it produces flowers. In mature plants the scape reaches up to 60 x 0.5 cm. Inflorescence distichous, fuchsia coloured, 7-10 cm long with 7-13 subsessile flowers Flower without scent. Sepals glabrous 25 mm long. Petals fuchsia colour 3 cm long that spread out 0.6 cm. Fruit 2-3 x 0.5 cm, with 5-10 fruits that diminish in size toward the apex. The three top flowers fail to set fruit. Interior walls of carpel lustrous dark brown. Seeds 2-3 mm long with feathery white appendix 2 cm long (Pinto, 2003).
  • Distribution: North of Chile, from Paposo to the south of the Province of Antofagasta, II region near Coquimbo, Province of Elqui, IV region.
  • Habitat: Epiphytic or saxicolous between 150m and 900 m altitude on the coastal escarpments and interior canyons. It grows mainly on cactus although also on bushes.
  • Conservation Category: Insufficiently well-known. In Danger?
  • Area of distribution: Endemic to the fog vegetation in the north of Chile.
  • Form of living: Herbaceous perennial.
  
  The state of the populations: R. A. Philippi in his trip to the north of Chile in 1853, describes T geissei as a frequent species in the area of Taltal. Luego Karl Reiche in his visit to Taltal in 1909, said that it is common to find T geissei with Euphorbia lactiflua. At the moment the populations of T geissei that are in the surrounding areas of Paposo and Taltal are remnant populations that only survive alone in certain favourable places. It is more common to find dead plants that find them alive. To the north of Paposo in the quebrada de Botija, the northern limit of distribution of this species there are very few plants in rocky canyons in hillsides of southern aspect. If the conditions of aridity continue, the range of distribution of Tillandsia geissei will probably be even more restricted (Schulz & Kapitany, 1996). In the sector near Paposo, the populations that are at higher altitudes on the upper parts of the cliffs are under better conditions that those that are at the base of the cliffs, where only 50% of the population survive. —See Smith & Downs 1977