what are those snake like plants that grow on palm trees?

Question

I saw them in st. pete and sarasota florida. No clue what they are...help!

Answer 1

A number of Ficus plants tend to begin the process of their seed germination on the crevices on a palm tree.

This is because their seeds are deposited there through the bird droppings.( They remain unharmed through the digective tract of the birds!)

Gradually they strangulate the palm with their strong roots.

Kindly click on the link below to see the photo.

Only then you can judge . Otherwise the data is insufficient.

1) http://chekjawa.nus.edu.sg/ria/photos/r167.jpg

2) http://msstate.edu/dept/biosciences/herbarium/Faurea.jpg

Answer 2

Sounds like vines. There are several thousand species of vines so I will need to do more research and get back to you...

Edit: Done a little research in this on-line encyclopedia and found this tidbit, quote:

"The growth habit of palms is usually a straight, unbranched stem, and rarely a dichotomous branching stem or a creeping vine-like habit (liana)."

So my interpretation of the quote is it is actually part of the tree called a liana.

Answer 3

If you are talking about the stuff that hangs down from tree branches, it is Spanish Moss.