Scientific name:  Guzmania monostachia (L.) Rusby ex. Mez.

Other common names: Fuch's bromeliad; strap-leaved guzmania

Status in Florida: Endangered

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

Distribution: Florida, West Indies, Mexico, Central America to northern Peru and Brazil

Distribution in Florida: Collier, Miami-Dade, mainland Monroe Counties

Occurrence in Florida: Seldom found but locally abundant (restricted to a few plant communities in southern FL); in deep slough habitat, where water depth, water-holding capacity of the peat soils, and canopy provide optimal conditions, 100 plants may appear on a single tree

Habitat: Terrestrial (rockland hammock), palustrine (slough, strand swamp); most abundant on pop ash (Fraxinus caroliniana) and pond apple (Annona glabra)

Description: Tank epiphyte; may be terrestrial; bright green, flexible, non-scaly, strap-shaped leaves, nearly parallel-sided and tapering abruptly at the tip, 2-3 cm (3/4 - 1 1/8 in.) wide and up to 50 cm (20 in.) long (usually 25-30 cm [10-12 in.]); leaves may be green-and-white striped (var. variegata); single floral spike ("monostachia" means "one spike") up to 40 cm (16 in.), with many spirally-arranged flowers; salmon-colored apical floral bracts in Florida; white flowers, 3 cm (1 1/8in.) long; long, cylindrical seed capsules, up to 4 cm (1 1/2 in.); may produce many vegetative offshoots

Time of flowering: All year, mainly February - August, especially May - July

References:
Bennett, Bradley C. 1992. The Florida Bromeliads: Guzmania monostachia. Journal of the Bromeliad Society 42(6):266-270.

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