Cypress Swamp Sunset
One of my favorite events to witness in Everglades National Park is the mass dispersing of airplant seeds. Featured in the photo is Tillandsia fasiculata, the Cardinal bromeliad. The seven species of airplants that call this cypress dome their home share a similar natural history and reproductive strategy. Post pollination seed development comes to a halt when the seed pods burst open to reveal thousands of minuscule seed capsules that are connected to fluffy white diaspores. They are then blown away from the parent plant in true shotgun style and the lottery begins. Land somewhere suitable for growth and the next stage of life begins; land in the water and perish. In this image, seeds and their cottony dispersal mechanism can be seen glowing in the waining sunlight. They are not only on the main cluster of bromeliads, but clinging to almost every nearby surface.
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