Tillandsia recurvata
Small ballmoss
Tillandsia recurvata, commonly known as Ball Moss, is a fascinating epiphytic plant native to the Americas. Unlike soil-bound species, it thrives by absorbing moisture and nutrients directly from the air through specialized scales. This resilient air plant plays a vital role in its ecosystem, providing habitat for various organisms.
- Scientific name: Tillandsia recurvata
- Family: Bromeliaceae
- Native range: Northern America
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Poales, it is classified under the family Bromeliaceae. Ultimately, it is identified by the genus Tillandsia and the specific species Tillandsia recurvata.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Poales | WCVP |
| Family | Bromeliaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Tillandsia | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, known by various names depending on the language and specific morphological variety, is referred to as Bågtillandsia in Swedish (sv) and is called 공이끼틸란드시아 in Korean (ko). In Spanish (es), its nomenclature can vary significantly; it is sometimes identified by the name Tillandsia uniflora, or more specifically categorized into different forms such as Tillandsia recurvata forma caespitosa and Tillandsia recurvata forma elongata.| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| sv | Bågtillandsia | Wikidata |
| ko | 공이끼틸란드시아 | Wikidata |
| es | Tillandsia uniflora | Wikidata |
| es | Tillandsia recurvata forma caespitosa | Wikidata |
| es | Tillandsia recurvata forma elongata | Wikidata |
| es | Tillandsia recurvata var. contorta | Wikidata |
| es | Diaphoranthema uniflora | Wikidata |
| es | Tillandsia recurvata var minuta | Wikidata |
| es | Tillandsia pauciflora | Wikidata |
| es | Tillandsia monostachya | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a broad geographical distribution across several regions of the United States. In the Southwestern U.S.A., it can be found growing in the state of Arizona. Its presence extends into the South-Central U.S.A., where it inhabits both New Mexico and Texas. Moving toward the Southeastern U.S.A., the species is also located in Florida. Finally, its range reaches further north into the state of Georgia.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Southwestern U.S.A. | Arizona | WCVP |
| South-Central U.S.A. | New Mexico | WCVP |
| South-Central U.S.A. | Texas | WCVP |
| Southeastern U.S.A. | Florida | WCVP |
| Southeastern U.S.A. | Georgia | WCVP |
| Southeastern U.S.A. | Louisiana | WCVP |
| Mexico | Mexico Central | WCVP |
| Mexico | Mexico Northeast | WCVP |
| Mexico | Mexico Gulf | WCVP |
| Mexico | Mexico Northwest | WCVP |
Chemicals
Tillandsia recurvata has 1 reported phytochemicals identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include cycloartane-3,24,25-triol.
- Total chemicals
- 1
- Scientific sources
- 1
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| cycloartane-3,24,25-triol | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Tillandsia recurvata has 3 reported medicinal uses identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include cancers, leukemia, prostate cancer.
- Total uses
- 3
- Scientific sources
- 3
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| cancers | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| leukemia | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| prostate cancer | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |