Hey Ken,
Funny but I have been wondering about probably the same thing. Look at my photos. The pic where the Tillandsia is actually resting in my hand was collected by me in Tallahassee in November. The second pic, where the Tillandsia is on my finger tips was collected by me a couple years ago in San Antonio. I KNOW that is Ball Moss (Recurvatae) since it is the only seen native T. in San Antonio (that I am aware of). Note the difference in leaf length- the Florida specimen seems much longer and, perhaps more important, the leaves do not seem recurved much, if at all. I suspect it is the same one mailed to you from Florida. In seeing both varieties in their habitat, they look very different to me! Texas Ball Moss is much smaller and tighter than the Florida specimen. Perhaps it is the more humid environment accounts for the difference but, after several years, in my much more humid climate, the San Antonio specimen has not changed at all. Like you, I am a Tillandsia nut and names are important to me. I have not stuck a label on the Florida one because I am simply not sure!
