|                    Banded wild-pine, Twisted airplant
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                |                    Tillandsia flexuosa  
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                |                    Bromeliaceae 
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                 Landscape Uses:
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                 Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations.  Also accent epiphtye. | 
               
                Ecological Restoration Notes:  | 
               
              
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                | Availability: | 
               
              
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                 Grown by enthusiasts. | 
               
              
                | Description: | 
               
              
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                 Epiphytic herb. | 
               
              
                | Height: | 
               
              
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                 6-12 inches in height; up to 24 inches in flower.  Usually taller than broad. | 
               
              
                | Growth Rate: | 
               
              
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                 Slow. | 
               
              
                | Range: | 
               
              
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                 Monroe County Keys north to St. Lucie, Hendry and Charlotte counties; disjunct and very rare in Highlands County; West Indies, Central America and northern South America.  Very rare in the middle Monroe County Keys. | 
               
              
                | Habitats: | 
               
              
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                 Moist forests and swamps. | 
               
              
                | Soils: | 
               
              
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                 Epiphytic; grows on the trunks and branches of trees and shrubs. | 
               
              
                | Nutritional Requirements: | 
               
              
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                 Low; it grows on nutrient poor substrate. | 
               
              
                | Salt Water Tolerance: | 
               
              
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                 Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water. | 
               
              
                | Salt Wind Tolerance: | 
               
              
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                 Moderate; grows near salt water, but is protected from direct salt spray by other vegetation. | 
               
              
                | Drought Tolerance: | 
               
              
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                 High; does not require any supplemental water once established. | 
               
              
                | Light Requirements: | 
               
              
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                 Light shade. | 
               
              
                | Flower Color: | 
               
              
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                 White, rose, or purple. | 
               
              
                | Flower Characteristics: | 
               
              
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                 Semi-showy inflorescence. | 
               
              
                | 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 and division. | 
               
              
                | Comments: | 
               
              
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                 It is listed as threatened by the state of Florida. | 
               
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                    James Johnson, 2014 In habitat, Everglades National Park, Florida
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                    George D. Gann, 2013 In habitat, Everglades National Park, Key Largo, Florida
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                    George D. Gann, 2013 In habitat, Everglades National Park, Key Largo, Florida
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