BALL MOSS (Tillandsia recurvata)

"Ball moss" growing on the stem of an ocotillo in the Baja California peninsula of Mexico, where winds from the Pacific Ocean carry moisture-laden air. It forms a tangled mass of leaves which are dry and grey coloured for major parts of the year but which rapidly hydrate and turn green when exposed to moisture.

Clump of "ball moss" 5 minutes after immersion in a dish of water. The living leaves have turned green. The rest of the clump consists of a thatch of old, dead leaves and roots.

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