Tuesday 18 June
Kautsky’s tillandsia (Tillandsia kautskyi)

Kautsky’s tillandsia fact file
- Description
- Biology
- Range
- Habitat
- Status
- Threats
- Conservation
- Find out more
- Glossary
- References
- Print factsheet
Kautsky’s tillandsia description
| Kingdom | Plantae |
| Phylum | Tracheophyta |
| Class | Liliopsida |
| Order | Bromeliales |
| Family | Bromeliaceae |
| Genus | Tillandsia (1) |
Owing to their habit of growing on trees, cliffs and rocks, the highly specialised Tillandsia species are commonly known as ‘airplants’ (3) (4). Kautsky's tillandsia is a stemless species, comprising a crowded rosette of spirally arranged leaves, densely covered with greyish scales. The attractive, rose and lilac coloured inflorescence only just exceeds the leaves in length, and has three to six branches, with two flowers on each (2).
- Size
- Height: 3 - 8 cm (2)
Kautsky’s tillandsia biology
Unlike most other vascular plants, the roots of Tillandsia species do not function in water and nutrient transport, but merely help the plant to cling to trees or rocks. Instead, tillandsias have tiny scales on their leaves called trichomes that absorb water from the atmosphere (3) (4).
TopKautsky’s tillandsia range
Kautsky's tillandsia is restricted to the state of Espirito Santo in south-eastern Brazil (2).
TopKautsky’s tillandsia habitat
Kautsky's tillandsia is found in wet mountain forests at altitudes of 800 to 1000 metres above sea level (2).
TopKautsky’s tillandsia status
Kautsky's tillandsia is listed on Appendix II of CITES (1).
TopKautsky’s tillandsia threats
Many Tillandsia species are believed to be threatened by over collection for the horticultural trade (5).
TopKautsky’s tillandsia conservation
International trade in Kautsky's tillandsia is restricted by its listing on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) (1).
TopFind out more
To find out more about tillandsias and other bromeliad species, visit:
-
Bromeliad Society International:
http://www.bsi.org/
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References
-
CITES (December, 2009)
http://www.cites.org -
CITES species identification manual (December, 2009)
http://www.cites.org/eng/resources/ID/index.php - Heywood, V.H. (1978) Flowering Plants of the World. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
-
Bromeliad Society International (December, 2009)
http://www.bsi.org - Smith, L.B. and Till, W. (2004) Bromeliaceae. In: Kubitzki, K. (Ed.) Families and genera of vascular plants VI. Springer, Berlin.
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Image credit
© E. J. Gouda / Utrecht University Botanic Gardens
Utrecht University Botanic Gardens
Postbus 80.162
Utrecht
3508 TD
The Netherlands
E.J.Gouda@uu.nl
http://FloraPix.nl/
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