Tillandsia caput-medusae

Native from Mexico through Central America, this epiphytic bromeliad grows in seasonally dry tropical forest. A swollen bulb-like base supports twisting silvery leaves covered with moisture-absorbing scales. The flowering stem carries overlapping red bracts from which narrow purple tubular flowers emerge. In Mexican dry forests, ants associated with this species remove air-plant seeds from host trees, reducing the establishment of new plants. Photographed in Florida.