F. Vervoorst
Family: Bromeliad
Sub-Family: Tillandsioideae:
Genus: Tillandsia
Sub-Genus: Anoplophytum
Native habitat: The plant grows on trees and rocks, from sea level to 300m and is endemic to the Salta Province of northern Argentina into Brazil.
Habit: This attractive little species clumps readily forming spherical clusters of plants which over time can grow into massive colonies. As an individual plant its form is distichous (DISS-tih-cuss) meaning that the thick, succulent leaves normally grow in two dimensions. So the plant is flat with the leaves growing in a mirror image of each other.
Foliage: The species produces slender short coriaceous leaves (resembling or having the texture of leather) about 8cm long while a mature plant is about 5cm high. There are some forms of this species that have rosette of leaves and even have some that forms two flowers side by side on occasion. There are also very thick succulent forms and some very fine and wispy. And while usually not pubescent some have slight pubescent leaves and stems.
Flowers: The plant usually produces a single, but relatively large and conspicuous red flower with three petals which can last for a week. Red flowers are rare among Tillandsias so the plant is much admired and when a clump is in flower the effect can be stunning.
Seed: Once pollinated, the plant takes months to form a flattened elongated hard seed pod which when ripe will split open and release fine aerial seed.
Pups: After flowering the plant produces 1-2 pups
Cultivation: In its native habitat, it can be found on steep cliffs. It is easy to grow, very decorative, especially when it comes to make the bright red flowers.
The plant was named after the Argentine botanist Alberto Castellanos, by an admiring student who discovered the species.
Fertilization: A mist every week with Epiphyites Delight or Epsom salts during the growing season will help the plant.
( Epiphyte’s Delight fertilizer was developed for a special reason. Nitrogen promotes foliar growth. If you have Tillandsias, Orchids, or other epiphytes and you feed them, take a look at the nitrogen content. If it’s high in urea, the plants can’t use it because the urea needs a bacteria in soil to break it down into ammonia and nitrates. Since the epiphytes don’t have any soil they can’t break down the urea. It was for this reason that we had Epiphyte’s Delight formulated. It contains only ammoniacal and nitrate nitrogen which is immediately accessible and usable by the plants.)
Availability: The plant is often available as single off-shoots, but locating larger clumps can be difficult.
More information HERE |
