Tillandsia utriculata explained

Tillandsia utriculata, commonly known as the spreading airplant, the giant airplant, or wild pine is a species of bromeliad that is native to Florida and Georgia in the United States, the Caribbean, southern and eastern Mexico (Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Oaxaca, the Yucatán Peninsula), Central America, and Venezuela.^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]}

Two varieties are recognized:^[1]

1. Tillandsia utriculata subsp. pringlei (S.Watson) C.S.Gardner – eastern Mexico
2. Tillandsia utriculata subsp. utriculata – most of species range

Florida populations of Tillandsia utriculata are highly susceptible to attack by the invasive weevil Metamasius callizona, and have been devastated throughout their range.^[9] Tillandsia utriculata holds more impounded water in its leaf axils, known as its tank, (up to a liter) than does any other Florida bromeliad. It is a major host of many species of aquatic invertebrates. With T. utriculata on a steady decline, a loss of habitat is occurring for many of these animal species.^{[10] [11]}

Notes and References

1. http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=269940 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
2. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=222000405 Flora of North America, Tillandsia utriculata Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 286. 1753.
3. http://bonap.net/MapGallery/County/Tillandsia%20utriculata.png Biota of North America Program, 2013 county distribution map
4. Espejo-Serna . Adolfo . López-Ferrari . Ana Rosa . Ramírez-morillo . Ivón . Holst . Bruce K. . Luther . Harry E. . Till . Walter . Checklist of Mexican Bromeliaceae with Notes on Species Distribution and Levels of Endemism . Selbyana . 1 June 2004 . 25 . 1 . 33–86 . en . 2689-0682 . 41760147 .
5. Holst . Bruce K. . Checklist of Venezuelan Bromeliaceae with Notes on Species Distribution by State and Levels of Endemism . Selbyana . 1 February 1994 . 15 . 1 . 132–149 . en . 2689-0682 . 41759858 .
6. Luther . Harry E. . An Annotated Checklist of the Bromeliaceae of Costa Rica . Selbyana . 1995 . 16 . 2 . 230–234 . 41759911 . 0361-185X.
7. Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & Strong, M.T. (2012). Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 98: 1-1192.
8. Carnevali, G., J. L. Tapia-Muñoz, R. Duno de Stefano & I. M. Ramírez Morillo. 2010. Flora Ilustrada de la Peninsula Yucatán: Listado Florístico 1–326.
9. Frank, J.H., Cave, R.D. (2005) Metamasius callizona is destroying Florida's native bromeliads [p. 91-101 IN:] Hoddle, M. S. (ed.) Second International Symposium on Biological Control of Arthropods, Davos, Switzerland, September 12–16, 2005. USDA Forest Service FHTET-2005-08. Vol. 1. http://fcbs.org/articles/M_Callizona_Frank_Cave.pdf
10. Frank, J. H., Fish, D. (2008) Potential biodiversity loss in Florida bromeliad phytotelmata due to Metamasius callizona (Coleoptera: Dryophthoridae), an invasive species. Florida Entomologist 91: 1-8 https://journals.flvc.org/flaent/article/view/75750/73408
11. Cooper, T.M., Frank, J.H., Cave, R.D. (2014) Loss of phytotelmata due to an invasive bromeliad-eating weevil and its potential effects on faunal diversity and biogeochemical cycles. Acta Oecologica 54: 51-56.