1.
[syn: Tillandsia, genus Tillandsia]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Tillandsia \Til*land"si*a\, n. [NL., after Prof. Tillands, of
Abo, in Finland.] (Bot.)
An immense genus of epiphytic bromeliaceous plants confined
to tropical and subtropical America. They usually bear a
rosette of narrow overlapping basal leaves, which often hold
a considerable quantity of water. The spicate or paniculate
flowers have free perianth segments, and are often subtended
by colored bracts. Also, a plant of this genus.
Note: Tillandsia usneoides, called Spanish moss, long
moss, black moss, and Florida moss, has a very
slender pendulous branching stem, and forms great
hanging tufts on the branches of trees in the
Southeastern United States and south to Argentina. It
is often used for stuffing mattresses
[1913 Webster + Webster 1913 Suppl.]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
Tillandsia
n 1: large genus of epiphytic or terrestrial sparse-rooting
tropical plants usually forming dense clumps or pendant
masses [syn: Tillandsia, genus Tillandsia]