Spanish Moss: Facts, Discussion Forum, and Encyclopedia Article

All Topics

Spanish Moss

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

	Spanish Moss
	Home Discussion Definition
	Topics Spanish Moss Topic Home Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides) closely resembles its namesake (UsneaUsnea Usnea is a common and scientific name for several species of lichen in the family Parmeliaceae, that generally grow hanging ... , or beard lichen). However, Spanish moss is not biologically related to either mossMoss Mosses are small, soft plants that are typically 1-10 cm tall, occasionally more.... es or lichenLichen Lichens are symbiotic associations of a fungus with a photosynthetic partner that can produce food for the lichen from sunli... s. Instead, it is a flowering plantFlowering plant The flowering plants are a major group of land plants.... in the family BromeliaceaeBromeliaceae Bromeliaceae is a large family of flowering plants native to the tropical and warm temperate New World.... (the bromeliads) that grows hanging from treeTree A tree is a large, perennial, woody plant.... branches in full sun or partial shade. Formerly this plant has been placed in the genera Anoplophytum,Caraguata and Renealmia. It ranges from the southeastern United StatesSoutheastern United States The Southeastern United States refers to a region in the southeastern part of the United States.... (southern Virginia and eastern Maryland) to ArgentinaArgentina Argentina is a country in southern South America.... , growing wherever the climateClimate The climate is commonly considered to be the weather averaged over a long period of time, typically 30 years.... is warm enough and has a relatively high average humidityHumidity Humidity is the amount of water in the air.... . The plant consists of a slender stem bearing alternate thin, curved or curly, heavily scaled leavesLeaf In botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant organ specialized for photosynthesis.... 2–6 cm long and 1 mm broad, that grow vegetatively in chain-like fashion (pendant) to form hanging structures 1–2 m in length, occasionally more. The plant has aerial roots and its flowerFlower A flower,rflorem<flos), also known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found i... s are tiny and inconspicuous. It propagates both by seed and vegetatively by fragments that blow on the wind and stick to tree limbs, or are carried by birdBird Birds are bipedal, warm-blooded, oviparous vertebrate animals characterized primarily by feathers, forelimbs modified as win... s as nesting material. Ecology Spanish moss is an epiphyteEpiphyte An Epiphyte is any plant that grows upon or attached to another living plant.... (a plant that lives upon other plants; from Greek "epi"=upon "phyte"=plant), which absorbs nutrientNutrient A nutrient is any element or compound necessary for or contributing to an organism's metabolism, growth, or other functionin... s (especially calciumCalcium Calcium is the chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Ca and atomic number 20.... ) and waterWater Water is a tasteless, odorless substance that is essential to all known forms of life and is known as the universal solve... from the air and rainRain Overview Rain is a form of precipitation, other forms of which include snow, sleet, hail, and dew.... fall. Spanish moss is colloquially known as "air plant". It can grow so thickly on tree limbs that it gives a somewhat "gothicGothic architecture Gothic architecture is a style of architecture, particularly associated with cathedrals and other churches, which flourished... " appearance to the landscape, and while it rarely kills the trees it lowers their growth rate by reducing the amount of light to a tree's own leaves. It also increases wind resistance, which can prove fatal to the host tree in a hurricane. In the southern U.S., the plant seems to show a preference of growth on southern live oak and bald cypress because of these trees high rate of foliar mineral leaching (Ca, Mg, K, and P) providing an abundant supply of nutrients to the plant, but it can colonize in other tree species such as sweetgum, crape-myrtle, other oaks, or even pine. Spanish moss shelters a number of creatures, including rat snakes and three species of bats. One species of spider, PelegrinaPelegrina *Pelegrina* is a spider genus of the Salticidae family.... tillandsiae, has been found only on Spanish moss. Spanish moss in culture and folklore Due to its propensity for growing in humid southern locales like GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state) For the country, see Georgia . For other uses, see Georgia .... , LouisianaLouisiana cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2"> Louisiana is a Southern state of the United States of America. ... , MississippiFacts About Mississippi Mississippi is a southern state of the United States.... , FloridaFlorida Overview Florida is a U.S. state located in the southeastern United States.... , South CarolinaSouth Carolina South Carolina is a state in the Southern region of the United States.... , and AlabamaAlabama Alabama is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. ... , the plant is often associated with Southern GothicSouthern Gothic Southern Gothic is a subgenre of the Gothic writing style, unique to American literature.... imagery. In the southeastern United States, the following tale is told: "As the story goes; there was once a traveler who came with his Spanish fiancée in the 1700s to start a plantation near the city of Charleston SC. She was a beautiful bride-to-be with long flowing raven hair. As the couple was walking over the plantation sight near the forest, and making plans for their future, they were suddenly attacked by a band of Cherokee who were not happy to share the land of their forefathers with strangers. As a final warning to stay away from the Cherokee nation, they cut off the long dark hair of the bride-to-be and threw it up in an old live oak tree. As the people came back day after day and week after week, they began to notice the hair had shriveled and turned grey and had begun spreading from tree to tree. Over the years the moss spread from South Carolina to Georgia and Florida. To this day, if one stands under a live oak tree, one will see the moss jump from tree to tree and defend itself with a large army of beetles." In HawaiiHawaii Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States on August 21, 1959.... , Spanish moss is occasionally called "Pele's hair" after PeleFacts About Pele (mythology) In Hawaiian mythology, Pele is a goddess of fire, lightning, dance, volcanoes and violence, a daughter of Haumea and Kane Mi... the HawaiianHawaiian mythology Hawaiian mythology is a variant of a more general Polynesian mythology.... goddess. The term "Pele's hairPele's hair Pele's hair a geological term for volcanic glass threads or fibers formed when small particles of molten material are thrown... " usually refers to a type of filamentous volcanic glassVolcanic glass Volcanic glass can refer to any of several types of vitreous igneous rocks.... . Legendary Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon LightfootGordon Lightfoot Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr., CC, O.Ont, LL.D is a Canadian folk singer, composer, lyricist and poet.... penned a ballad entitled "Spanish Moss". Human uses At one time, some 5,000 tons of Spanish moss were harvested and used in the U.S. alone. The moss is sometimes bought for use in arts and craftsArts and crafts Arts and crafts comprise a whole host of activities and hobbies that are related to making things with one's own hands and s... , or for beddings for flower gardenFacts About Garden A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other for... s. The plant is commonly believed to be a habitat for chiggersHarvest mite Harvest mites are mites in the family Trombiculidae that live in berry patches, tall grass and weeds, woodland edges, pine s... , but only collects the mites after it has touched the ground. Spanish moss in its natural habitat, hanging from trees, does not harbor chiggers. Spanish moss is also known to have been worn by the women of the TimucuaTimucua The Timucua were a American Indian people who lived in Northeast and North Central Florida and southeast Georgia.... Indian tribe. Tillandsia usneoides as an entire plant has been used to treat type II diabetes (mellitus), heart diseaseHeart disease Heart disease is one of a number of different diseases which afflict the heart.... , edemaEdema Edema or oedema, formerly known as dropsy or hydropsy, is swelling of any organ or tissue due to accumulat... , and hemorrhoidHemorrhoid Hemorrhoids are varicosities or swelling and inflammation of veins in the rectum and anus. ... s. Gallery External links