Guzmania monostachia
West Indian Airplant
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Scientific name: Guzmania monostachia (L.) Rusby ex. Mez.
Common names: West Indian tufted airplant, Fuchs' bromeliad, strap-leaved guzmania.
Status in
Florida: Endangered.
Threats to
this plant in Florida: Mexican bromeliad weevil (Metamasius callizona), illegal collecting, habitat destruction.
Distribution: Florida, West Indies, Mexico, Central America to northern Peru and Brazil.
Distribution
in Florida: Collier, Miami-Dade, mainland Monroe Counties.
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Occurrence in
Florida:
Before the Mexican bromeliad weevil, large, dense, localized
populations could be found in deep slough habitat, where water depth,
water-holding capacity of the peat soils, and canopy provide optimal
conditions. Now, these populations are being destroyed by the weevil.
Habitat:
Terrestrial (rockland hammock), palustrine (slough, strand swamp); most
abundant on pop ash (Fraxinus caroliniana) and pond apple (Annona
glabra).
Description: Tank
epiphyte; may be terrestrial; bright green, flexible, non-scaly,
strap-shaped leaves, nearly parallel-sided and tapering abruptly at the
tip, 2-3 cm (3/4 - 1 1/8 in.) wide and up to 50 cm (20 in.) long
(usually 25-30 cm [10-12 in.]); leaves may be green-and-white striped
(var. variegata); single floral spike (“monostachia” means
“one spike”) up to 40 cm (16 in.), with many
spirally-arranged flowers; salmon-colored apical floral bracts in
Florida; white flowers, 3 cm (1 1/8in.) long; long, cylindrical
seed capsules, up to 4 cm (1 1/2 in.); may produce many
vegetative offshoots.
Time of
flowering: All year, mainly February - August, especially May – July.
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References
Coile NC. 2000. Notes on Florida's Endangered and Threatened
Plants. FDACS/DPI,
Bureau of Entomology, Nematology and Plant Pathology, Botany Section.
Contribution No. 38, 3rd ed., Gainesville, FL.
http://www.virtualherbarium.org/EPAC
Florida Natural Areas Inventory.
1997. Matrix of Habitats and Distribution by County of
Rare/Endangered
Species of Florida. Florida Natural Areas Inventory/The Nature Conservancy.
http://www.fnai.org
Long RW, Lakela O. 1976. A Flora of Tropical Florida.
Banyan Books, Miami. 178 p.
Luther HE, Benzing DH. 2009.
Native Bromeliads of Florida. Sarasota, FL. Pineapple Press,
Inc.
Ward
DB (ed.). 1979. Plants, Vol. 5. In: Rare and Endangered Biota of
Florida, P.C.H. Pritchard (ed.). University Presses of Florida,
Gainesville, 175 p.
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