Epiphyte (Tillandsia usneoides) in the pineapple family, found
in southern North America, the West Indies, and Central and
South America. It often hangs in large, beardlike, silvery-gray
masses from trees and other plants and even on telephone poles,
but it is not parasitic or structurally intertwined with its
host. It takes in carbon dioxide and rainwater or dew for
photosynthesis through tiny, hairlike scales that cover its
threadlike leaves and long, threadlike stems. It absorbs
nutrients from dust and solvents in rainwater, or from decaying
organic matter around its aerial roots. Stalkless yellow flowers
appear rarely. Spanish moss is sometimes used as a filler in
packing boxes and upholstery, and around potted plants or floral
arrangements.