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Aechmea gracilis. By David Skimmings

 

I write a few articles with the intention of highlighting a plant that other club members may or may not have in their collections. I acquired an Ae gracilis from Jan Townsend some time ago. Like most Aechmea it’s quite hardy and multiplies well. I like the splash of yellow it brings to my collection along with Ae capixabae and the Vriesea ospinae. The Ae gracilis clumps well in a hanging basket, even though it grows via rhizomes, it doesn’t seem to reach out of the pot too quickly. What I mean by that is after a few generations with some varieties there is more plant hanging out of the pot than in. With this plant it stays fairly tight till it needs re-potting. Around the base of the plant there is a purple tinge as shown in photo-3. One thing that may confuse members is that the inflorescence is not yellow until it ages. The inflorescence starts off pink and purple/blue as shown in  photo-2 by Regenaldo, then it goes yellow as seen in photo-1

There seems to be great debate on the maybe incorrectly named plant being called Ae gracilis in Australia. This species plant that grows in Brazil from near sea level to 1000 m altitude could just be a small version of Ae. organensis.

Therefore I’m not going to say much more about the name unless someone has some Taxonomic DNA barcode results. I’m led to believe that Peter Franklin has been involved in an ongoing saga re: this small hardy Aechmea and I’m keen to hear more about the story of this interesting plant.  Anyway despite its history in Australia it’s worth having it in your collection (in my biased opinion).

 

Ref -http://fcbs.org/butcher/A_organensis.htm, Bromeliaceae #3.1999

Aechmea “Ensign” by David Skimmings.

 

A well grown Aechmea “Ensign” is a very beautiful plant in my eyes, with its apple green and white leaves. Unfortunately, its one of those plants that many find hard to grow well, depending on your Hunter Valley location. I am certainly envious of the fine specimens I have seen from time to time that hardly have a cold, water or burn mark on them. At a meeting about 12 months ago a member spoke about an article he had read about the Aechmea “Ensign” where the plant generally disliked being cool and wet for too long.  Attaching them and hanging them allowed the plants to dry out after watering and have more air flow. I went home and pulled my plant out of the pot and zip tied it to a wire hanger. I had nothing to lose as my plant looked like rubbish and I hung it high near the shade cloth. As you can see in picture 2 the bottom of the mother plant had a lot of dead leaves and was suffering. All the deadness you see was prior to the attachment. I think it would have died if I had just left it. Despite the damage I stopped its degradation enough for it to flower a few weeks ago (Pic3). Before flowering the pup was growing well (and still is). As you can see in Pic. 1 the pup hardly has a mark. The underneath as seen in Pic2 is fairly clean too. In conclusion, this is my experiment and who knows what else you have to do to get the climate and conditions like southern Brazil in my Maitland back yard JLOL.

 

Derek Butcher makes an interesting point about sporting and variegation using Aechmea “Ensign” as a reference “The word 'Sport' has been in horticultural use for many years but has rarely been formally applied to Bromeliads. A 'Sport' is defined as a visible asexual mutation and occurs in bromeliads where offsets (or pups) are different to the 'Mother' plant. To my mind there is a closer relationship between a 'Sport' and a 'Mother' plant, than that between siblings in a grex and we should record this fact when it occurs.

While variegation can occur in the seed raising stage this is NOT included in this definition.

United States Plant Patent law covers all offsets of a patented plant whether sports or not but is broken by seed raising and this seems to be a firm basis to start from. The phenomenon of 'Sporting' has become more prevalent in the past 10 years or so because of the avalanche of named variegated plants which are notoriously unstable.

Just what do you do with an offset that is different from 'Mother'? To be strictly correct this should be destroyed but in reality they are not destroyed but even nurtured! As an example, Aechmea 'Ensign' (See Baensch Blooming Bromeliads p44) should be an albo-marginate form of Aechmea orlandiana. It was raised by seed where the mutation occurred. Note that Aechmea 'Ensign' is not a sport of Aechmea orlandiana! A sport of Aechmea'Ensign' is 'Reverse Ensign' which has a white median line. These will be linked in the Bromeliad Cultivar Registry by a 'Sport' indicator. Any offset of Aechmea 'Ensign' which is not albo-marginate (or reverse) should in my mind be called Aechmea 'Ensign' sport until such time that it 'stabilises' and someone gives it a name. Even if it loses its variegation it should still be called Aechmea 'Ensign' sport and NOT Aechmea orlandiana because it still retains the erratic genes and could easily revert back to an Aechmea 'Ensign'.”

 

 

 

Definition

The term grex (pl. greges), derived from the Latin noun grex, gregis meaning flock, has been coined to expand botanical nomenclature to describe horticultural hybrids of orchids, based solely on their specified parentage.[1] It is a type of the "Group" category,[1] which is used to describe cultivated plants in practical ways that are not necessarily related to their biological classification.

A grex may be:

  • a species (usually called "species" instead of "grex"

  •  a hybrid between two greges.

Refs: http://www.bsi.org/brom_info/cultivar/sports.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grex_(horticulture)

Aechmea carvalhoi – David Skimmings

I just thought I’d put this small article together on the Aechmea carvalhoi. It may be a plant that members have not read much about. It does not seem to rate much of a mention in the recent books for sale. I did however have a look in some of the older ones. At my place, this small plant was growing in a hanging pot high up near the shade cloth out of the road, in fact I had kind of forgotten about it.  As you can see, the plant when not in flower is a fairly nonchalant one, although the lime green foliage is pleasant. One day a few weeks ago I spotted the flower pointing away from the walk way and I was delighted to see it in full flower with its dark pink to red bracts.  The inflorescence is a panicle of whitish berries and it leans to the side.  (You can see these berries in photo 2) The new plant hung off the mother from the pot with its’ stolen by about 180mm (7 inches).  As you can see by the name this plant is a species, it’s endemic to Brazil and is a relatively new species discovered by the botanist André Maurício Vieira de Carvalho in the rainforest of Bahia State in 1989. The first recorded blooming in cultivation was October 1985. E.M.C. Leme writes it needs humidity and plenty of light. I don’t do anything different to my other Aechmea and I was very pleased with the lack of leaf marks from either cold or heat. (As you can see in photo 1)

 

As a matter of interest:

Dr. André Maurício Vieira de Carvalho (1951-2002).

  • André, curator of the Herbarium of the Centro de Pesquisas            do Cacau (CEPEC) in Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil.

  • He died in his sleep of tuberculosis on 16 November, 2002.

  •  He was buried the same day in Pontal, Ilhéus, where he was born on 5 October, 1951.

  • André was one of the most productive plant collectors ever in Bahia, with over 7200 numbers, mostly collected in Bahia.

  • His legacy is the CEPEC herbarium, the largest in north eastern Brazil and one of the best curated herbaria in the country.

  •  In his honour, the CEPEC herbarium has been renamed the Herbário André Maurício de Carvalho.

 

 

Ref. http://homepage3.nifty.com/~ttera/collection/Aechmea_carvalhoi.htm, http://mailman.nhm.ku.edu/pipermail/taxacom/2002-December/042151.html, Elton M C Leme – JBS Vol.39 1989, Pereira & Leme 1989 - Photos by Kim Skimmings

Particular Plants

Aechmea Rajah – David Skimmings

​

Although some members have many species and non species in their collections there are always the favourites. Most of the time when our plants multiply, we’ll keep a few for ourselves and sell or give away the surplus. When we have a lot of the one sort one would say “this is one of my favourites”. One indication of this in my collection is the Aechmea Rajah. When I thought about it for this specimen a few points came to mind. I like Aechmea in general and I find this plant in particular has a very pleasant vase shape having a nice broad leaf. Similar to the Ae fulgen, Ae Royal Wine and the Canistropsis burchellii the leaf has the green colouring on the top side and the burgundy colour on the underside; this allowing the plant to be pleasing to the eye when not in flower. When the plants begin to put up their inflorescence the new bunching head has a lovely soft pink colour (as below). As the flower starts to emerge they are a bluish purple which is striking against the reddish orange. Once the flowers are finished the flower head still grows on to become darker in colour and fills out with more branches. Like the Ae faciata the flower head is long lasting. The leaves have small spines and are fairly passive compared to other Aechmea.
I find this plant doesn’t like to be too wet for too long as it can start to rot in the core, which has been a problem to me over this wetter year. I also find they have to be protected a little from the cold and the severe sun as they are easily marked, however once you find the right location they are fairly hassle free.
There doesn’t seem to be a lot of information about on the parentage of this cultivar. Anyway I thought I’d write about this plant as you may consider grabbing it when it’s next on offer.
 
Photo 1 – plant in its prime. Photo 2 – plant showing green and burgundy, not in flower Photo 3 – young inflorescence – showing pinkish tinge. Photo 4 - older spent head filling out more. 

Pitcairnia smithiorum  - put together by David Skimmings information from the net.

As there weren’t too many Pitcairnias to view at the last meeting I thought I would put this one into an article, it’s flowering at the moment. As described by Peter you can see that it has the typical spineless grass-like foliage. It is described as being one of the most spectacular pitcairnias. The species was botanically described only in 1991. When I look at this plant I can’t help but think of the “red hot poker” Kniphofia uvaria with its similar growing habit. In the same way to gingers etc the plants can be propagated by detaching a piece of the underground rhizome (taking care to obtain a piece with roots attached). Others can be multiplied by splitting the bulbous-like growth (like spitting up agapanthus etc).

 

The Pitcairnia smithiorum has arching, light green leaves that are up to 80 cm long and 5 cm wide. An egg-shaped, reddish spike which is about 10 cm long and 7 cm wide arises from a 30 to 50 cm long stalk. The spike is level with the top of the plant’s leaves. The flowers have orange-yellow petals. Several beautiful hybrids have been made using this plant.

 

The Pitcairnia genus is named after a London doctor, Pitcairn. The terrestrial genus can be found from southern Mexico and the West Indies down to northern Argentina and Peru. Most species are found in Brazil, Colombia and Peru. The only bromeliad species whose native habitat is outside of the Americas is a pitcarinia, namely, P. feliciana, which grows on cliff faces in tropical West Africa. Naturally these plants will do well from a slow release fertilizer as the terrestrial plants will take up nutrient through their roots better than their epiphytic cousins.

Guzmania

  Put together by David Skimmings information from the net.

The approx 185 species of Guzmania are named after Guzman who first discovered the plant. This gentleman of Spanish ancestry was an apothecary (old style chemist), botanist and collector of historical items.

·          The first one hundred varieties were described in the 18th century and were imported to Europe in around 1900. The plant originated in northwest South America and the Caribbean.

·         Guzmanias grow in the tropical and subtropical forests. The larger species are generally terrestrial growing in leaf mould on the jungle floor.

·         Others are epiphytic in the wild and they feed off decomposed materials like other broms.

·         The “fountain shaped” leaves channel rainwater to the centre of the plant.

·         Every so often, the rosette throws out typical candlestick like bracts in lively red, signalling flowering.

·         A lot of Guzmania are cultivated in Holland and China is an up and coming producer as well. Tissue culture produces a lot of identical clones. Once the best plants are decided on, mass produce of very good plants occurs. In 1997 some 6.8 million were sold in Holland.

·         The entire Bromeliaceae, require lower light levels and they require more in moisture. It is highly recommend that 75 to 80% shade be provided.  Keep the root ball moderately moist.

·         Fertilisation Guzmania require a more rigorous fertilisation regime than most other bromeliads due to them growing comparatively faster than say, Neoregelia and Aechmea. Slow release Osmocote© in the compost and foliar feed would be beneficial.

·         Pups -After flowering, offsets would be produced at the base of the plant the same as all broms. A lot of literature suggests to take the pups at 1/2 the parent's size rather than a 1/3

·         Flowering - should happen in a year or two, if not it can be artificially stimulated by placing the pot with a ripe apple in a tied up plastic bag.

·         Soil - Never use garden soil as a substrate. Compaction is always fatal and suffocates the roots, even if it seems deceivingly to be initially a good substitute. Use African Violet mix or a peat based medium, with perlite.

·         Generally speaking Guzmania don’t handle frosts that well, however with some research and looking at the species that come from the higher altitudes there are a few that can tolerate frosts a little. It would be fair to say that under planting in locations that afford the plants with plenty of protection is probably the better option.

Quesnelia lateralis (latter-a-lis) put together by David Skimmings information from the net.

At the last meeting in July, Doris brought in a Quesnelia lateralis (Wawra 1880 - endemic to Brazil) so I thought I would do a follow up article on that plant for those that weren’t at the meeting etc. I was very interested in the growing habit of the inflorescence coming from the base of the plant as shown in photo 1. It’s also worth noting that the plants do flower from the centre of the vase as well. I enjoy seeing those plants that sit a little outside the norm like the Vriesea ospinae that grows like a bush unlike any other Brom. I can’t imagine why nature would want the flowering arrangement to be so different to its many cousins. (Sometimes a plant can have several inflorescences out at the same time)

An indication may be observed in the photo 2 (Located in Serra dos Órgãos, Rio de Janeiro State) where you can see the terrestrial plants growing in the wild. Compared to plants grown healthily in a pot with adequate light where the plant thickens up and the leaves stay shorter, the plants in the wild seem to stretch up in thickish clumps. It may be in the plants best interest to have additional inflorescence poking out of the interwoven leaves to aid in pollination. This is pure speculation and observation on my behalf though.

Whilst the flower is fairly slight in comparison to the size of the plant there’s no denying the deepness of the red and blue colouring.

These plants are found in the mountains at elevations of 850 metres to 1400 metres above sea level. This plant is hardy and makes a good landscape plant.

 

http://botu07.bio.uu.nl/Tropical/index.php?gal=default&genus=Quesnelia&search=Quesnelia%20lateralis&all=1&id=726

Aechmea Perez – put together by David Skimmings

Recently I acquired a heap of Aechmea from a friend, so many in fact I had enough to make up a 6 large hanging baskets. I was told they were Ae Foster’s Favorite. I also recognised some Ae. Foster’s Favorite Favorite in the box as well. I set to work and placed the Ae. Foster’s Favorite Favorite in the centre of the basket as I thought this would make a nice centre plant and placed what I thought were the Ae Foster’s favorite around the outside. As you can see by picture 4 I think it presented well. What I did notice about the dark burgundy pups is that they were dark inside and out. i.e. there wasn’t any green on them. After doing some research I believe these plants to be either Ae, Perez or Ae, Black Jack. Either way the shiny deep “port” burgundy foliage is stunning grouped together. Once these plants flower with their pendulous inflorescences they will be very well suited to a hanging basket. My experience is these plants are hardy, they clump well with their stoloniferious growing habit and the inflorescences last for ages.

As shown in photo 2 by Peter Fanklin, The Ae Foster’s Favorite is a hybrid of Ae. racinae with Ae. victoriana var. discolor crossed by Mulford Foster. Ae Foster’s Favorite was patented in 1945.

Derek Butcher writes “In the early 1960's  Aechmea 'Foster's Favorite Favorite'  was imported to Sydney and offsets were in demand even though the plant did not particularly like Sydney's winter weather. A little while later it was rumoured that a more hardy form had come into being somewhere "Up North".

Anyway my point of writing this article is if you can get hold of some Ae. racinae, Ae. victoriana var. discolor, Ae Foster’s Favorite, Ae 'Foster's Favorite Favorite, Ae Black Jack, Ae Perez, Ae Red Ribbon, Ae warasii then the hanging pot or hanging basket, in my opinion, is a great way to showcase them. The 2nd point is that not all plants are what they are labelled.

 

Ref :http://fcbs.org/butcher/A_Fosters_Favorite.htm

Pic 1 = Ae Perez

Pic 2 =Ae Foster’s Favorite by Peter Franklin

Pic 3 = Ae Perez by K Skimmings

Pic 4 = hanging basket referred to.

Pic 5 = Ae. Foster’s Favorite Favorite

Pic 6 = Ae Perez inflorescences/Michael Andreas

Tillandsia (A collection of condensed points from many articles) put together by David Skimmings at 2013

  • Tillandsia is the largest genus in the bromeliad family, accounting for approximately 550 of over 2500 species of bromeliads.

  • They are native to the warmer climates of Central America.

  • Commonly known as air plants (though poorly named), they are found from jungle rain forest to arid desert environments - from sea level to high mountain regions.

  • Most Tillandsia species use their root systems to attach themselves to trees or rocks and absorb moisture and nutrients through their leaves. This classifies them as xerophytic epiphytes.

  • Absorption occurs through small scales on their leaves called trichomes. This has been covered well in recent articles.

  • One of the endearing qualities of the Till. for collectors in my opinion is that many of these unique plants undergo a dramatic colour change as they prepare to bloom. Some are very fragrant.

  • Another reason I collect the Tills. is because they can be mounted on any medium you choose. This allows me to be a little creative as I use various pieces of good shaped drift wood. I try to use a piece that shows the plant off well. I get great pleasure from this as they hang there knowing it’s my work. I find these small plants with even smaller pups attached very quaint.

  • Minimal care is a third attraction to the collector.  The three most important requirements are bright light, (not direct sun), good air circulation and water. Simple really.

  • Even though Tillandsias will survive in the home or office, monthly rotation between indoors and outdoors keeps the plants vibrant - mount 2 of the same species and swap them around.

  • The watering schedule is 2 to 4 times a week depending on humidity. Some articles talk about misting as a watering technique. I feel a good watering till the Tillandias are well and truly dripping is the better way.

  • Tillandsias love fresh moving air. Disease due to “overwatering” is more a result poor air movement than the watering itself. They like a good soaking and they also need to dry right off.
    Common Mistakes
    1) Not watered often enough. 2) Too little light.

  • 3) Fertiliser can burn air plants if it’s to strong remember ¼ strength. 4) Poor air movement.

Top pic – Till. fasiculata.

Bottom pic – Till. brachycaulos x

Aechmea phanerophlebia by David Skimmings

This plant, as you can see, is the typical vase shaped Aechmea. It is a larger plant growing up to 60cms.  It handles the full sun well, however, very much dislikes the cold and frost

It's a strong hardy plant (just get in a warm protected spot). The main feature I like about this plant is the banding.  This species is endemic to Brazil, 950 -1800 m alt, saxicolous, sometimes on soil, rarely epiphytic. I grow it in a normal free draining potting mix due that fact that it is terrestrial Photo 1 & 3 shows a mother (right) and the pup on the left. An indicator that my plant is not getting enough light and I will have to re-locate it is the mother is a lot tighter in the vase. See how the bottom leaves on the pup are much longer (up to 6 times longer) meaning it’s stretching for the light. (Photo 3, angled from the top more, also shows this.)

 The Photo 4 shows banding which is similar to Ae. fasciata.

Photo 1 shows the Inflorescence in its fairly young stage. I find, like some of the other Aechmea, they are often a very soft pink and the pink darkens with age. The blue flowers are just starting to emerge.

Photo 2 - As expected the inflorescence darkens and more blue flowers emerge and then die off to display the dark brown tips.

 

Ref: Flora Neotropica, Lyman B. Smith and Downs.

Billbergia distachia by David Skimmings - added 30.6.18

DISTRIBUTION: Brazil (Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande doSul)

Billbergia distachya (VELLOZO) MEZ ( species)

This particular species is a hardy one; I nearly lost it 12 months ago when I found a colony of about 8 had fallen off the shelf, knocking the entire bark chip from its roots. It was lying on the hot concrete out of sight. When I discovered the group it was dry and papery. I split it up into 3 pots, watering them a few times over a week and left it.

I was convinced it was deceased but to my surprise it pupped on and flowered as seen in these photos. What I like about this plant is when it flowers the bunch hangs down well clear of the bracts. This lets it wobble around in the breeze like a hanging lantern.

These is not a lot on the net. I did find a photo of one growing in Brazil, Santa Catarina

 

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/4725065 Other photos can be found http://flora-click.com/Billbergia%20distachia.htm http://bromeliace.tumblr.com/post/25237841845/billbergia-distachia-21-by-luiz-filipe-varella

Pitcairnia smithiorum added 30.6.18

This is a beautiful bromeliad with soft, arching leaves. Although grass-like at a glance, these leaves have spines near their bases. The flower spike is unbranched with a club-like cluster of orange bracts and yellow flowers. Since the Pitcairnia species do not capture water in center of their leaves like epiphytic bromeliads, I assume that these plants require a moist, well-drained soil. Reportedly, this species is cold hardier than most Pitcairnia species, surviving to a low of 20 degrees F.

This plant is rare in cultivation but may be found in specialty catalogs.

Division of the clump is an easy method of propagation. 
As with most of these type of plants they are grass like, they are rewarding with a long lasting flower.

Aechmea JC Superstar' is an Aechmea Hybrid from Hawaii that was introduced by master Hybridizer M. Yamamoto, A cross of ramosa x chantinii that stands out with its red bands in the charactistic of the chantini. I have to say that mine has not received enough light hence the lack of red.

Aechmea ramosa is endemic to eastern Brazil, this plant is a ramosa cross by the late Bertrand Stoner Western Australia. I find this plant is fairly hardy. It doesn’t seem to get many marks on the leaves from sun or frost. It has the typical Aechmea vase shape. I grow them from year to year with little fuss and they always flower as you see in the pics. 

Portea petropolitana var extensa is one of the most sought after of the Portea genus, there’s just nine species, they grow on the eastern coast of Brazil and grow close to the sea at times. I like the limey green foliage however they do have sharp spines. Like most of the Portea the joy is in the inflorescences with the coral coloured spike with purple flowers then popping out the dark purple berries. This plant likes the warmer climates so keep it in a warm protected location.

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