A medium-size form. Flowers in late summer/autumn, with a strong musky scent.
It is sometimes said that T. usneoides has no roots. Here is a photograph of roots formed when the plant was grown from seed (one seed-pod was sown from a cross between two different forms of T. usneoides). After 6 years, we have a clump 70 cm long and 10 cm wide... slowly, slowly....
Commonly called "Spanish Moss." In Mexico and Florida it is used as cushioning in furniture manufacturing by allowing outer covering to rot off and then cleaning, sorting and baling inner strand. Used by American Indians and soldiers in the American Civil War as bandaging (bromelain, a proteolytic enzyme in bromeliads, is thought to break down dead tissue and fibrin to enhance the rate of healing, and has been found to have significant analgesic effects in extracts). In Louisiana used in tea as a folk remedy for diabetes, and experimentally has been found to reduce blood
glucose in rats 4 to 8 hours after taking. The Houma used it as a febrifuge. The dried fibres are twisted and used for cordage and floor mats. Used for tanning in hide preparation and removing scum in cooking.
In sub-tropical and tropical South America it is called variously:
barba-espanhola, barba-de-macaco, barbo-de-pai-ventura, barba-de-pau,
cabelos-do-rei, camambaia, crina-vegetal, erva-dos-bardonos, samambaia,
samambaia-de-norte, hirahuasso. (Rios A. &
Khan, 1998)
