|                    West Indian tufted airplant
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                |                    Guzmania monostachia  
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                |                    Bromeliaceae 
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                 Landscape Uses:
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                 Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. | 
               
                Ecological Restoration Notes:  | 
               
              
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                 A rather rare epiphyte in hammocks and swamps. | 
               
              
                | Availability: | 
               
              
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                 Grown by enthusiasts. | 
               
              
                | Description: | 
               
              
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                 Epiphytic wildflower. | 
               
              
                | Height: | 
               
              
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                 About 1-2 feet in height; more when in flower.  About as broad as tall. | 
               
              
                | Growth Rate: | 
               
              
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                 Moderate. | 
               
              
                | Range: | 
               
              
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                 Miami-Dade and Collier counties and the Monroe County mainland; West Indies, Central America and northern South America.  Very rare outside of Collier County. | 
               
              
                | Habitats: | 
               
              
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                 Swamps and moist forests. | 
               
              
                | Soils: | 
               
              
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                 Epiphytic; or terrestrial in moist, well-drained humusy leaf litter, acid to neutral pH. | 
               
              
                | Nutritional Requirements: | 
               
              
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                 Moderate; can grow on nutrient poor substrate, but needs some nutrient inputs to thrive. | 
               
              
                | Salt Water Tolerance: | 
               
              
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                 Low; does not tolerate flooding by salt or brackish water. | 
               
              
                | Salt Wind Tolerance: | 
               
              
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                 Low; salt wind may burn the leaves. | 
               
              
                | Drought Tolerance: | 
               
              
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                 Low; requires moist substrate and high humidity and is intolerant of long periods of drought. | 
               
              
                | Light Requirements: | 
               
              
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                 Light shade to moderate shade. | 
               
              
                | Flower Color: | 
               
              
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                 Bracts green to orange with white flowers. | 
               
              
                | Flower Characteristics: | 
               
              
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                 Showy. | 
               
              
                | Flowering Season: | 
               
              
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                 Spring-summer. | 
               
              
                | Fruit: | 
               
              
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                 Green to brown capsule with hairy, wind dispersed seeds. | 
               
              
                | Wildlife and Ecology: | 
               
              
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                  | 
               
                     
                | Horticultural Notes: | 
               
              
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                 Can be grown from seed. | 
               
              
                | Comments: | 
               
              
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                 It is listed as endangered by the state of Florida. See also Florida Natural Areas Inventory's  Field Guide to the Rare Plants of Florida page (Chafin 2000). | 
               
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