Complete vivipary behavior detected in the epiphytic Tillandsia recurvata L. (Ball moss) in the Chihuahuan Desert in two continuous years

Vivipary implies that seeds germinate inside the fruit still attached to the mother plant. Vivipary may constitute an adaptive trait, which may allow the quick establishment of seedlings in harsh environments. The Bromeliaceae includes ca. 3,140 species in many ecosystems, but vivipary appears to be infrequent in bromeliad epiphytes. In this research, we studied the vivipary incidence in Tillandsia recurvata from the Southern Chihuahuan Desert, during two years. We collected one fruit from each of five T. recurvata individuals, in ten Prosopis laevigata trees (50 fruits in total) inside 1 ha. These trees were at least 10 m apart. Fruit collection was conducted on September 7, 2016, and August 20, 2017, after fruit ripening and during the rainy season. Collected fruits were cleaned and opened to quantify the number of viviparous seedlings within each of them during 2016 and 2017. Vivipary incidence (%) in the collected fruits was not statistically analyzed because we found 100% of viviparous seedlings in both collection years. There were on average 69.59 and 71.44 seedlings per fruit per individual in 2016 and 2017, respectively. We attached groups of seedlings (all seedlings from each fruit) together, to mesquite branches and monitored seedling survival every two weeks for one year. At least one seedling lived from 66% of the fruits after 1 yr. Complete vivipary incidence in T. recurvata is probably adaptive because roots of seedlings may attach to hosts more readily than seeds without roots. •Vivipary implies that seeds germinate inside the fruit attached to mother plant.•We studied the vivipary incidence in the epiphytic Tillandsia recurvata.•We found complete vivipary in two continuous years.•We found 69.59 and 71.44 seedlings per fruit per individual in 2016 and 2017.•At least one seedling lived from 66% of the fruits after 1 yr.