Tillandsia kammii

Tillandsia kammii is a species in the genus Tillandsia that is native to Honduras,^[2] but has also been collected in El Salvador.^[3] It was first discovered in Honduras in 1977 in the regions of Olancho, Lempira and Copan.^[4][5] Its common name is Kamm's tillandsia.^[6]

Tillandsia kammii
Tillandsia kammii in cultivation at the Botanical Garden of Heidelberg, Germany
Conservation status
CITES Appendix II (CITES)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Clade:	Commelinids
Order:	Poales
Family:	Bromeliaceae
Genus:	Tillandsia
Subgenus:	Tillandsia subg. Tillandsia
Species:	T. kammii
Binomial name
Tillandsia kammii Rauh

Description

Tillandsia kammii is a xerophytic epiphyte.^[7] It is one of only four species of Tillandsia that is protected by the CITES Appendix II.^[8] T. kammii has densely arranged leaves and often grows between five and ten centimeters tall. It has thin wiry roots and has been known to grow both as a single plant and in clusters. This plant has a short, bright red inflorescence, surrounded by violet petals, that rarely lasts more than a day after blooming. Unsurprisingly, this plant has a rough texture and appearance which is due to coarse trichomes covering its leaves. Tillandsia kammii closely resembles both T. velutina and T. plagiotropica. It is differentiated from the former by its larger, denser trichomes, and from the latter by its narrower, longer, and more flexible leaves.^[5]

Habitat

Tillandsia kammii inhabits the tropical savanna climate in Honduras and El Salvador at elevations of 500 to 1200 m.^[4] Average temperatures in its habitat range from 14 °C – 35 °C, with an average total annual precipitation of roughly 1400 mm.^[9]

T. kammii clump at the Botanical Garden of Heidelberg, Germany.

Cultivars

No cultivars are listed for this species in the BSI Cultivar Registry.^[10]