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. T. usneoides is the only member of the very large genus Tillandsia to occur north of s. GA.

ID notes: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.

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Synonymy: = Ar, Bah, C, ETx1, F, FNA22, G, K3, K4, Meso6, NcTx, RAB, Tat, Tx, Va, WH3; = Dendropogon usneoides (L.) Raf. – S, S13

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Wetland Indicator Status:

• Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FAC
• Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: UPL
• Great Plains: UPL

Heliophily: 5