Tillandsia polyantha
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Tillandsia polyantha faces severe pressure from habitat destruction as cloud forests across its Central American range are cleared for agriculture and urban development. The species' specialized epiphytic lifestyle makes it particularly vulnerable to forest fragmentation, as it requires specific humidity and light conditions found only in intact cloud forest canopies. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering the moisture regimes and cloud formation patterns essential for this bromeliad's survival.
Habitat
This epiphytic bromeliad inhabits the canopy and understory of montane cloud forests, typically growing on tree branches and trunks at elevations between 1,200-2,400 meters. It thrives in the consistently humid, mist-shrouded environments characteristic of tropical cloud forests in Central America.
