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Epiphytes are plants that live upon other plants, but do not harm their hosts. Often called air plants, epiphytes attach to the bark of their host plants as a means of reaching sunlight or to avoid For more information contact: competition on the ground. The most common epiphyte seen in Florida is Spanish moss—not a UF/IFAS Sarasota County Extension 941-861-5000 true moss, but a member of the bromeliad family. Worldwide, epiphytes account for 10 percent of http://sarasota.extension.ufl.edu all plant species, and are found in many plant groups, including the aroids, begonias, bromeliads, heaths, nightshades, orchids, ferns and true mosses. Guide to Text and photographs by Bruce Holst Epiphytes are most abundant and diverse in tropical rain and cloud forests. They even survive in Center for Tropical Plant Science and Conservation near desert conditions where fog may be the only source of water. Having no roots in the ground, epiphytes the Common The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens use special adaptations to obtain and store water and nutrients. Many orchids have specialized water storage www.selby.org Epiphytes organs, called pseudobulbs, which help the plant survive drought. Other epiphytes, such as ferns, grow at the base of living or dead palm fronds, in trunk cavities or on of Florida branches where organic matter accumulates. Succulent stems For brochure information contact: EPIPHYTES ARE NOT PARASITES! Annemarie Post 941-861-9815 or [email protected] and leaves that store water are also common features among lorida has the richest epiphyte flora in the Do not remove them from your trees. They are F many epiphytes. United States, with approximately 85 species of an important part of the ecosystem and afford native “air plant” ferns and flowering plants. This Some epiphytes, particularly certain bromeliads, capture many ecological benefits, such as providing field guide will help you identify the most common water at the bases of their overlapping leaves. These “tank food, water and shelter to Florida animals. species from the three main epiphyte groups of epiphytes” also provide a source of water for forest canopy Trees that seem to be overrun with Spanish or ball moss are usually in a state of decline due Florida: ferns, orchids and bromeliads. The guide inhabitants. Other epiphytes absorb water and nutrients to other reasons; the epiphytes are just taking also provides common and scientific names, clues through their thick spongy roots (orchids) or through advantage of the high perch that offers them for identification and notes on the distribution of specialized scales on their leaves (many bromeliads). The thick the best sunlight. epiphytes in Florida. � covering of these scales cause the distinctive gray cast of ball moss and Spanish moss. Epiphytes can be found throughout the state, though they are most diverse in the swamps of the Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve, Big Cypress National Preserve and in the tropical hammocks of Everglades National Park. Some Florida epiphytes are endangered as a result of wetland dredging, filling and other coastal development—all activities that reduce humidity levels. An introduced destructive beetle (the weevil Metamasius callizona) is causing severe damage to Florida bromeliads, particularly to the giant airplant (Tillandsia utriculata). To learn more about epiphytes and see the most diverse collection of epiphytes in the world, visit the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 811 South Palm Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34236. Telephone: 941-366-5731. www.selby.org. Project Direction: Annemarie Post Environmental Horticulture: UF/IFAS Sarasota County Extension Brochure produced by van Zandt Marketing Services, Inc. 4th Q, 1000 BROMELIADS ORCHID S FERNS Ball-Moss Cardinal Airplant Giant Airplant Reflexed Wild Pine Southern Needleleaf Spanish Moss Florida Butterfly Orchid Green-Fly Orchid Resurrection Fern Golden Polypody (Tillandsia recurvata) (Tillandsia fasciculata) (Tillandsia utriculata) (Tillandsia balbisiana) (Tillandsia setacea) (Tillandsia usneoides) (Encyclia tampensis) (Epidendrum magnoliae) (Pleopeltis polypodioides) (Phlebodium aureum) Ball moss is extremely The cardinal airplant is one The giant airplant is the Common in southern Florida Two species of airplant in The long, draping silver The butterfly orchid, first The green-fly orchid is the Curled and Large dissected common in Florida, of the most conspicuous largest of Florida’s airplants. where it often grows with the Florida have thin “needle- curtains of Spanish moss discovered in the Tampa Bay most common orchid of gray when the fronds and a though it is not as airplants in southern Its leaves resemble those cardinal airplant, the reflexed leaves”: the southern on oak trees give much of area, is the most widespread northern Florida where air is dry, the thick, orange, conspicuous as Spanish Florida, especially to of the cardinal airplant, but wild pine has leaf bases called needleleaf and Bartram’s Florida and the southeast its of Florida’s epiphytic orchids. it largely replaces the fronds of the scaly rhizome moss. Ball moss is travelers along the major they are generally more sheaths that appear inflated, airplant (Tillandsia characteristic look. Spanish Its strap-shaped leaves, butterfly orchid. It is the resurrection (left) distinguish frequently found on the byways. There you can see recurved, of thinner texture and together, form a bulbous bartramii). The former moss has been used as distinctive pseudobulbs only epiphytic orchid in the fern undergo a the golden smaller twigs of trees and its dense, dark green-gray and lack the keel-line on structure. The red flower is more frequent south a stuffing for pillows and and long sprays of fragrant United States found outside marked transi- polypody. shrubs in bright sunlight. clusters on cypress or oak the lower surface. The spike extends well beyond of Orlando, and the mattresses and as an element flowers distinguish it from of Florida, extending as far tion when rainfall is abundant, Spore-bearing clusters occur Under trees. The giant airplant the twisted latter more in flower other epiphytic north as North spreading out to become lush in widely spaced rows on the right leaves are is a solitary and recurved common to arrangements. orchids. Carolina and and dark green. The divided, the lower surface of its conditions, usually stiff grower and leaves. Bulbous the north. The moss Butterfly as far west as scaly fronds bear few spore- deciduous fronds. The fern it may and erect- dies after structures The southern also serves as orchids have eastern Texas. bearing clusters (sori) on the is found throughout the also grow ascending. flowering, created by needleleaf is an important several flower Its flowers lower surface. The fern is Florida Peninsula, and directly on They have a whereas overlapping distinguished shelter and color forms; are mostly found throughout Florida. rarely in the Panhandle. tree trunks, longitudinal the cardinal leaves are often by grayish nesting petals and all green or fence posts line—like airplant home to ants flower bracts material for sepals can dull yellow and electric the keel on a commonly or other small with maroon Florida animals. range from green, and wires. The clumping boat—on the lower surface; grows in small colonies animals that benefit the plant tips and lavender petals Its emerald- green to yellow frequently show a touch of habit and purple petals this feature helps distinguish and reproduces vegetative by providing an extra source that open in the summer. green, fragrant or bronze, lavender on the end of the easily distinguish ball moss it from the similar-looking offsets at the base. The of nutrients through their Bartram’s airplant, which flowers often and while the column; the petals and sepals from Spanish moss. Ball giant airplant. Several flowering spike of the droppings and remains. In blooms in the spring, has go unnoticed. purple spot of some forms are suffused moss is found throughout forms of the cardinal giant airplant protrudes some cases, the resident ants completely rose-colored Spanish on the lip is with a hint of bronze. Long Strap Fern Shoestring Fern the Florida Peninsula airplant occur in Florida, well above the leaves, and aggressively protect the plant flower bracts and blue- moss is found usually obvious, Pseudobulbs are not present (Campyloneurum phyllitidis) (Vittaria lineata) and scattered in the with varying color shades has light green bracts and from leaf-feeding animals.The violet petals. The southern throughout it is completely in this species. In Florida, The long strap fern prefers The shoestring fern is Panhandle. of the flower spike, ranging whitish petals. It is found reflexed wild pine is found needleleaf is found in the Florida. lacking in a the green-fly orchid is found to grow close to the ground commonly found on cabbage from green to red or rarely in most of the Florida in the southern two-thirds of southern two-thirds of the white-lipped throughout the Panhandle on cypress knees or fallen palm trunks. The undivided, white. The cardinal airplant Peninsula, from Putnam the Florida Peninsula, from Florida Peninsula, from form.The orchid is found in and south to Lee County on logs. The undivided fronds narrow fronds can be several is found in the southern County south. Orange County south. Volusia County south. most of the Florida Peninsula, the Peninsula. bear yellowish sori in many feet long and have sori in two-thirds of the Florida from Putnam County south. (Photographs by Carl Luer) rows on the lower surface. two lines near the margins Peninsula, from Volusia This fern is found scattered on the lower surface. The County south. in the southern two-thirds of fern is found throughout the Florida Peninsula, from the Florida Peninsula. Orange County south..

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