Tillandsia baileyi, catalogue of Bromeliad plants

A catalogue of Bromeliads used for various projects by - Lloyd Godman

This is a catalogue of bromeliads used by Lloyd godman for his various installations and photosynthesis projects - the collection of pants he accessed in New Zealand from 1996 - 2004 was collected from a wide range of sources, while most were brought from Greens Bromeliads, some were also donated by the Dunedin Botanical Gardens. Later in 2004 these plants were either sold or given away with his move to Australia.

Lloyd is at present re-establishing his collection where he now lives in Melbourne.

A Lexicon of Bromeliads: A resource by Lloyd Godman

Genus - Tillandsia: Sub-Family - Tillandsioideae: Family - Bromeliad

Tillandsias are regarded as true air plants and as such are among the most unusual of the Bromeliad family. They range from bulbous forms and grass like structures to silver tufted masses. Typically they grow where there is free air movement like high treetop environments or across open rock faces, and often they are heavily covered in silver trichomes that help reflect the high levels of sun light they receive in these locations. While some tolerate temperatures as low as 5 degrees C (40 degrees F), or even lower, most prefer temperatures of around 10-32 degrees C (50-32 degrees F). While they require high levels of humidity, they need to dry out quickly and completely between misting or watering. As the trichome scales open to absorb moisture and close to retain it, it is important that the plants are given time to dry out and most plant deaths occur because of over watering.

Tillandsia baileyi

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Tillandsia baileyi, commonly known as the reflexed airplant, Bailey's Ball Moss or giant ball moss. Named after Liberty Hyder Bailey an American botanist.

Sub-Family: Tillandsia

Native distribution: Tillandsia bailey is native to southern Texas, Tamauliaps in Mexico and Gutemala. (it is the only native USA species that is not found in Florida) It grows at altitudes 900 - 1200m ( 2,900 - 3,900ft)

Habit: The plant grows well as an epiphyte and can quickly grow into large colonies that looks like a strange out of control haircut. The leaves have a heavier indumentum (layer of trichomes that make it appear a fuzzy white) than other pseudobulbous species. With the flower spike it grows to about 18cm. Some plants can be viviparous producing pups from the flower spike.

Foliage: It has long twisted wirery thin leaves while the leaf base swells into a bulbous form about the size of an acorn.

Flowers: The flowers form on a long stem and form as a long tube with purple blue flowers. The bracts are red and dusted with trichomes

Seed:

Pups:

Cultivation: The species responds to bright light with dapple shade, however like all Tillandsias they respond to regular misting but allow the plant to dry quickly - do not water in direct sun on a hot day as this will burn off the trichome cells.

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:

More information HERE