|                    Twisted wild-pine, Potbelly airplant
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                |                    Tillandsia paucifolia  
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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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                 4-6 inches in height; up to 10 inches in flower.  Usually taller than broad. | 
               
              
                | Growth Rate: | 
               
              
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                 Slow. | 
               
              
                | Range: | 
               
              
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                 Monroe County Keys north to Brevard, Osceola and Charlotte counties, but very rare north of Lake Okeechobee ; West Indies, Mexico, Central America and northern South America. | 
               
              
                | 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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                 Tubular, lavender flowers emerge from pink bracts. | 
               
              
                | Flower Characteristics: | 
               
              
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                 Semi-showy inflorescence, about 3" long. | 
               
              
                | 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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                    Liza McCain, 2014 Big Pine Key, Florida, USA
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                    Liza McCain, 2015 Big Pine Key, Florida, USA
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                    George D. Gann, 2013 Everglades National Park, Key Largo, Florida, USA
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