Trichomes

1. Tillansia
2. Trichomes

The leaves of Tillandsia are covered with scales called trichomes. The scales have wings that flatten when they are wet. The scales prevent sunburn and help water absorption.

Those scales have wings and the cells which convey water and nutrients. Unlike regular stomata which open and close water channels, these cells absorb water by itself and transfer it to neighboring cells.

Shown is a close-up view of a trichome of Tillandsia.
Tillandsia is a CAM plant and fixes carbon dioxide through C3 cycle during the daytime that catalyzed by RuBisCo and through C4 cycle at night with PEP, or phosphoenolpyruvate.

Tillandsia fixes nitrogen in the air, just as Rhizobium bacteria on legume roots does in the soil.