Tillandsia x floridana (L.B.Sm.) H.Luther
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Comments:
- The narrow leaf Tillandsia taxa of central Florida have been a source of confusion for many years (Smith, 1966). Previous workers, dealing mainly with herbarium material have found great difficulty in applying names to the variable populations of tillandsias found from Lake Okeechobee northward in peninsular Florida. Only by observing living populations is it possible to understand this variation and correlate characters of the living plants with artifacts of preserved specimens.
In central Florida Tillandsia fasciculata Sw. var. densispica Mez (near the northern limit of its range) apparently hybridizes with the dominant species, Tillandsaia bartramii Elliot. Specimens more or less morphologically intermediate between these species are fairly frequent. In some populations the proported hybrid plants tend to greatly resemble the T. bartramii parent suggesting further backcrossing. It should be noted that the type specimen (Foster 2820 at US) more closely resembles a typical T. fasciculata var densispica than most of the additional material l examined. Mulford Foster (cf. letter with type at US) suggested a hybrid origin for his 2820 but appeared to dismiss this possibility without explanation. C. S Gardner (1982, and pers. comm.) also concluded that this taxon was of hybrid origin but did not propose any nomenclatural changes.
Tillandsia X floridana may be distinguished from T. bartramii by its larger size and more ample inflorescence as well as a tendency to form more erect, not hemispherical clusters. It differs from T fasciculata by being usually somewhat smaller with narrower leaves and having pink (not red or green) rather thin, usually lepidote floral bracts. —See Phytologia
