Stats

Lifespan

15-25 yrs

Size

Small

Diet

Photosynthetic

Biome

Tropical dry forest

Range

Central America

Movement

Sessile

Breeding

Seeds

Status

Rare

About

Tillandsia xerographica, a plant native to southern Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, is a bromeliad with a unique method of reproduction. This plant uses a specialized structure called a "leaf-tip" to produce a single, fertile flower, which is then released to the wind.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   seed

   A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2. 2.
   sprout

   A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3. 3.
   sapling

   A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4. 4.
   mature

   Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae

Phylum

Tracheophyta

Class

Liliopsida

Order

Poales

Family

Bromeliaceae

Genus

Tillandsia

Species

Tillandsia xerographica