erinhilbrands
Spanish Moss
This is a photograph of Spanish Moss, Tillandsia usneoides, growing on a pine tree. This plant is not actually a moss as it's more closely related to pineapples and succulents. They are sometimes called "air plants" because small scales, called trichomes, that envelop the entire plant absorb nutrients and water from the atmosphere. This plant grows on other trees in warm, humid areas. It's most often found growing on oaks or pines. Spanish Moss growing on other trees is an example of commensalism because while it does use another tree as support, it does not harm the larger tree in the process. Commensalism is a type of symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits and there is no effect on the other. Only on rare occasions does the weight of the moss break a branch or the sheer mass of the plant block sunlight. Spanish Moss also provides a habitat for an array of other organisms, including rat snakes, chiggers, several species of bats, and spiders.
Spanish Moss
This is a photograph of Spanish Moss, Tillandsia usneoides, growing on a pine tree. This plant is not actually a moss as it's more closely related to pineapples and succulents. They are sometimes called "air plants" because small scales, called trichomes, that envelop the entire plant absorb nutrients and water from the atmosphere. This plant grows on other trees in warm, humid areas. It's most often found growing on oaks or pines. Spanish Moss growing on other trees is an example of commensalism because while it does use another tree as support, it does not harm the larger tree in the process. Commensalism is a type of symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits and there is no effect on the other. Only on rare occasions does the weight of the moss break a branch or the sheer mass of the plant block sunlight. Spanish Moss also provides a habitat for an array of other organisms, including rat snakes, chiggers, several species of bats, and spiders.