Diaphoranthema

Diaphoranthema
Tillandsia usneoides , habit and yellowish flower.
Systematics
Commelinids Order : Sweet grass (Poales) Family : Bromeliads (Bromeliaceae) Subfamily : Tillandsioideae Genre : Tillandsia Subgenus : Diaphoranthema
Scientific name
Diaphoranthema
( Beer ) Baker

Diaphoranthema is a subgenus of the genus Tillandsia inthe bromeliad family ( Bromeliaceae ). They are the smallest species of the genus Tillandsia and thus also of the entire bromeliad family(Bromeliaceae).

description

They live primarily epiphytically , i.e. on other plants (mainly trees or cacti). But there are also species that live lithophytically, i.e. on rocks (but also on roofs and even telephone wires). None of the species live terrestrially (on the ground). All species are gray tillandsia in areas with little precipitation and high humidity. They prefer full sun and can therefore be found in the upper levels of the forests, on rocks or (less often) on the ground. They are the smallest species of the genus Tillandsia and thus also of the entire bromeliad family ( Bromeliaceae ). And the smallest of them is Tillandsia bryoides ; it rarely grows larger than 5 cm.

They have very few roots or are largely rootless plants. The leaves are in small rosettes or on short stems; Tillandsia usneoides has a special growth form (see there). The leaves are coarse, with entire margins and relatively densely covered with suction scales.

Unlike many other bromeliads, their inflorescences are relatively inconspicuous and small. The hermaphroditic, threefold flowers, however, have normal sizes for Tillandsia species. The three sepals are free, symmetrical. The color of the three free petals is different in the individual species. The six stamens are shorter than the narrow petals. The stylus is short and thick. They form capsule fruits in which the hairs of the seeds are not folded.

Species (complete)

Tillandsia aizoides Tillandsia andicola Tillandsia angulosa Tillandsia brealitoensis Tillandsia bryoides Tillandsia caliginosa Tillandsia capillaris

Tillandsia castellanii Tillandsia copynii Tillandsia cotagaitensis Tillandsia erecta Tillandsia funebris Tillandsia gilliesii Tillandsia hirta

Tillandsia kuehhasii Tillandsia landbeckii Tillandsia loliacea Tillandsia mollis Tillandsia myosura Tillandsia pedicellata Tillandsia rectangula

Tillandsia recurvata Tillandsia retorta Tillandsia spiralipetala Tillandsia tenebra Tillandsia tricholepis Tillandsia usneoides Tillandsia virescens

literature

• Jürgen Röth, Wilhelm Weber: Tillandsia - flowers of the air. Neumann, Radebeul 1991, ISBN 3-7402-0086-3
• Elvira Groß : Tillandsias for rooms and winter gardens . Ulmer, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-8001-3222-2
• Werner Rauh : Bromeliads - Tillandsias and other bromeliads worthy of culture . Ulmer, Stuttgart 1990, ISBN 3-8001-6371-3

Web links

Commons : Tillandsia  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

• Comprehensive information on this sub-genre in the web archive. ( Memento from January 26, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) (German)
• Harry E. Luther: An Alphabetical List of Bromeliad Binomials , 2008 in The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens , Sarasota, Florida, USA. Published by The Bromeliad Society International .