Spanish Moss (Tillandsia usneoides) - 3
Contrary to the name, Spanish moss in neither a moss, nor is it Spanish. It's a native bromeliad that is closely related to pineapples and air plants found in the tropics and subtropics. This interesting epiphytic plant is most often found hanging from live oaks in the American Southeast, Texas, Mexico and Caribbean Islands where it clings to the bark of these trees by tiny scales on their long thread-like stems. Spanish moss is completely harmless to their host trees, except in some cases where there can be so much of it that it actually blocks the sunlight needed for photosynthesis. This was part of an enormous patch found in an area along the Rio Grande right next to the US-Mexico border near Alamo, Texas.
- Copyright
- ©2022
- Image Size
- 4000x6000 / 27.0MB
- https://www.leightonphotography.com
- Keywords
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Alamo, Angiosperms, Bromeliaceae, Commelinids, Florida crape, French hair, Hidalgo County, Monocots, NWR, National Wildlife Refuge, Plantae, Poales, RGV, Rio Grande Valley, Santa Ana NWR, Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Spanish beard, Spanish moss, Texas, Tillandsia, Tillandsia usneoides, Tracheophytes, air plant, airplant, black moss, botany, bromeliad, endangered, epiphyte, epiphytic, flora, gray, grey, horsehair, long moss, native, old man’s beard, plant, silver, subtropical, tropical, vegetable horsehair, white beard, wild, winter, wool crape
- Contained in galleries
- Bromeliads
