TILLANDSIA

Tillandsia, genus Tillandsia

(noun) large genus of epiphytic or terrestrial sparse-rooting tropical plants usually forming dense clumps or pendant masses

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

From the genus name.

Noun

tillandsia (plural tillandsias)

Any of the genus Tillandsia of American epiphytes.

Source: Wiktionary

Til*land"si*a, n. Etym: [NL. So named after Prof. Tillands, of Abo, in Finland.] (Bot.)

Definition: A genus of epiphytic endogenous plants found in the Southern United States and in tropical America. Tillandsia usneoides, called long moss, black moss, Spanish moss, and Florida moss, has a very slender pendulous branching stem, and forms great hanging tufts on the branches of trees. It is often used for stuffing mattresses.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition