Help us maintain this website and keep it free and open for our community of scientists, students, and conservation managers, who depend on it to obtain the most up to date information. Help us save species and restore native ecosystems!

Close

Please scroll to the bottom for more images.
Catopsis floribunda L.B. Sm.
Florida strap airplant

Catopsis floribunda
Copyright by: Shirley Denton

Family: Bromeliaceae

Group: Monocot

Substrate: Epiphyte

Habit: Herb

Perennation: Perennial

Native Range: South Florida, the West Indies and northern South America; reported in error for southern Mexico and Central America.

Map of select IRC data for peninsular Florida

NatureServe Global Status: Vulnerable

State of Florida Status: Endangered

Florida Natural Areas Inventory State Status: Critically Imperiled

IRC SOUTH FLORIDA Status: Critically Imperiled

SOUTH FLORIDA Occurrence: Present

SOUTH FLORIDA Native Status: Native

SOUTH FLORIDA Cultivated Status: Cultivated

Comments: Previously ranked as imperiled in South Florida, in 2017 we have re-ranked this as critically imperiled due to declining populations in Miami-Dade County, Everglades National Park and Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park. Declines are due to habitat degradation in Miami-Dade County and Everglades National Park and predation of plants by the Mexican bromeliad weevil (Metamasius callizona) in the Fakahatchee. See also Florida Natural Areas Inventory's Field Guide to the Rare Plants of Florida page (Chafin 2000). Also visit our Natives For Your Neighborhood website for more information and images.

Other data on Catopsis floribunda available from :

Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants
Catopsis floribunda has been found in the following 9 conservation areas :
Occurrence Native Status
Big Cypress National Preserve Present Native
Camp Owaissa Bauer Presumed Extirpated Presumed Extirpated
Castellow Hammock Park Presumed Extirpated Presumed Extirpated
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Possibly Extirpated Possibly Extirpated
Everglades National Park Present Native
Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park Present Native
Fern Forest Nature Center Possibly Extirpated Possibly Extirpated
Fuchs Hammock Preserve Possibly Extirpated Possibly Extirpated
Meissner Hammock Possibly Extirpated Possibly Extirpated

Catopsis floribunda has been found in the following 4 counties :
Occurrence Native Status
Broward County Possibly Extirpated Possibly Extirpated
Collier County Native
Miami-Dade County Native
Monroe County (Mainland) Native

Catopsis floribunda has been found in the following 5 habitats :
Coastal Berm
Dome Swamp
Rockland Hammock
Slough
Strand Swamp

All Images:

Catopsis floribunda
Copyright by: Shirley Denton