Scientific name:  Catopsis floribunda (Brongn.) L.B. Smith

Other common names: Many-flowered catopsis, many-flowered airplant, Florida catopsis

Status in Florida: Endangered

Threats to this plant: Illegal collecting, habitat destruction, Mexican bromeliad weevil (Metamasius callizona)

Distribution: Florida, Mexico, West Indies, Central and South America

Distribution in Florida: Broward, Collier, Miami-Dade, and Monroe Counties

Occurrence in Florida: Rare

Habitat: Humid, shady habitats: terrestrial (rockland hammock), palustrine (strand swamp)

Description: Tank epiphyte; grows to 70 cm (28 in.) tall; long, bright green leaves, 20-40 cm (8-16 in.), with wide bases and narrowing at tip; flower stalk 25 cm (10 in.) or longer, with 5-15 lateral branches and 15-50 flowers; yellow or white petals; mature seed capsules up to 1.4 cm (1/2 in.) long; vegetative in every month

Time of flowering: Fall

References:
Coile, Nancy C. 2000. Notes on Florida's Endangered and Threatened Plants. FDACS/DPI, Bureau of Entomology, Nematology and Plant Pathology, Botany Section. Contribution No. 38, 3rd ed., Gainesville, FL. http://www.virtualherbarium.org/EPAC

Flora of North America Association. 2000. Flora of North America, Vol. 22. http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/FNA

Florida Natural Areas Inventory. 1997. Matrix of Habitats and Distribution by County of Rare/Endangered Species of Florida. Florida Natural Areas Inventory/The Nature Conservancy. http://www.fnai.org

Long, Robert W. and Olga Lakela. 1976. A Flora of Tropical Florida. Banyan Books, Miami.