Had its chances of survival been better I would have left it. As it was, it stood no chance at all, so I took it home with me, and after dunking it in a pot of rainwater, I put it under the Fiddlewood in a somewhat shaded, but basically bright spot. I hope it will flourish for me. Legally rescued Tillandsia fasciculata, Tillandsia balbisiana and Tillandsia flexuosa, all Florida natives, reproduce in the yard, so I am hopeful for the potbelly.
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| Tillandsia paucifolia - Potbelly Airplant |
Tillandsias are epiphytes. Their roots serve mainly to anchor them to trees or sometimes rocks, and they absorb nutrients and water through their leaves. They often have a felty, scurfy, or downy appearance due to a covering of specially-adapted cells. Depending on exposure the species listed above appear in various shades of green in some shade, to gray-pink in harsh scrub.
The potbelly airplane is short and stocky, as its common name implies. It doesn't have as many leaves as most other Tillandsias, hence the species epithet paucifolia. Newer leaves may have subtle rose tints. The plant in the photo below looks like it is getting ready to send up a bloom spike. The bracts of the potbelly are pink, and the flowers a bluish lavender.
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Potbelly in Naples Preserve |
The potbelly is quite tough, and will grow in oak scrub, as in the picture above, taken in the Naples Preserve in Naples, Florida. The potbelly also occurs in the West Indies, Mexico, and Central and South America. (Richard Wunderlin. Guide to the Vascular Plants of Florida. University Press of Florida. 1998; Flora of North America).
Text, photos and artwork by Jeanette Lee Atkinson
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