Tillandsia usneoides (Linnaeus) Linnaeus. Spanish-moss, Long-moss, Pastle. Phen: Feb-Aug. Hab: Branches of trees, especially in swamps, but elsewhere where air humidity is high enough, often even in dry forests (for instance, Tillandsia is abundant on Quercus laevis in an extensive very dry longleaf pine sandhills near Wilmington, NC, which receives frequent fog from the Cape Fear, Brunswick, and Northeast Cape Fear rivers). Dist: S. MD (historically), se. VA south to s. FL, west to s. AR, TX, and Mexico; West Indies; Central and South America.

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Other Comments: T. usneoides is the only member of a very large genus to occur north of s. GA. The epithet ‘usneoides’ refers to its (very general and superficial) resemblance to the common epiphytic lichen Usnea. The inconspicuous yellowish-green flowers are intensely fragrant at night.

Synonymy: = Ar, Bah, C, ETx1, F, FNA22, G, K3, K4, Meso6, NcTx, RAB, Tx, Va, WH3; = Dendropogon usneoides (L.) Raf. – S

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