Tillandsia Midhurst. Photo by Maurice Kellett.
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March meeting from the Secretary’s desk.
It was good to see Maurice Kellett from Victoria at the meeting. Seems he and Anna are ‘Womadelaide’ people too and the dates coincided. He seemed more subdued than usual but did bring a plant for the special raffle! It was called ‘Tillandsia Not insignis’. This name is now Tillandsia ‘Midhurst’ There are now 3 plants under this name in Adelaide – one with Len Colgan, one with me and one with Luke, a young keen visitor for the first time. Luke is over here studying frogs but has Bromeliad connections with the Central Coast Society. Let us hope he can spare the time to visit again even though it will be difficult for my brain to get round the fact there would be two young Lukes at our meetings.
As you know, I don’t like unsolved problems. Tillandsia insignis as most ‘Tillandsia experts’ know is a species that is very rare in cultivation because it comes from the dark forests of Panama and nearby Costa Rica. It has been known since 1889 and has been known variously as Pepinia, Guzmania, Thecophyllum, and Tillandsia. Due to molecular studies it now seems safe as a Werauhia. With all this going on it seems strange that in 1971 Matuda described a Tillandsia insignis although in 1974 he changed the name to Tillandsia beutelspacheri. In any event the plant comes from the rocks around Sumidero canyon in Chiapas Mexico.
In the late 1980’s Len Colgan and Len Cork each imported a T. beutelspacheri from Pam Koide and I managed to scrounge an offset from Len Cork after his flowered. Mine flowered in 1993 and did not agree with the then description so I wrote to Harry Luther. He suggested my plant could be a natural hybrid with T. fasciculata, T. rodrigueziana or T. welzii. At the same time I was also writing to Renate Ehlers who had collected in this area. She confirmed finding plants similar to mine but felt they were within a variable species. This flurry of questions did mean that Harry made an amendment to the description of T. beutelspacheri in J. Brom. Soc 44: 117. 1994. We now know that the stamens can be expected to exsert like a true Mexican Tillandsia! I still have T. aff. beutelspacheri on my label. Len Colgan’s plant had a pendant inflorescence and seemed closer to the amended description.
Now to the plant from Maurice Kellett that he got as seed from Alfredo Lau as T. insignis so many years ago. We know this name is now T. beutelspacheri but Maurice’s plant flowered with an erect branched inflorescence. It had trichome tipped floral bracts to suggest a link with T. beutelspacheri. Because we do not know as to how or where the seed was collected by Lau we have decided to call the plant ‘Midhurst’ which is Maurice Kellett’s nursery. There are other seedlings growing up under Maurice’s care and we hope, in the future, to make a detailed study of the floral parts. This close examination is essential if we are even to make a guess as to its relationship with other tillandsias found near the Sumidero Canyon.
Adam introduced us to the plants brought in to brag about having survived the hottest February on record. The plants looked surprisingly well having also been subjected to severe watering restrictions even using Adelaide tap water!
Tillandsia candelifera is rarely seen – anywhere – so we hope you took it all in. I do know that John Catlan from Queensland did grow it in the past and pobably Peter Tristram in northern NSW but it is a first for South Australia. The plant concerned had been imported by Len Colgan from Renate Ehlers and he was worried he did not have the right conditions for it so I was given responsibility for it. It was almost in flower but no sign yet of offsets for it to carry on. This species has had a chequered career. It was described by Rohweder in an obscure German journal in 1953. It was then treated as synonymous with T. imperialis in Smith & Downs 1977. Renate Ehlers came across plants that looked different and eventually she and I published a paper in J. Brom Soc 52(6): 259-261. 2002 giving T. candelifera species status once again. All I can say is that it must be easier to grow than T. imperialis!
While on the subject of Tillandsias with green leaves we also saw a Tillandsia viridiflora. And yet it has white flowers not green! This has rather graceful bending leaves – green on the top and reddish beneath suggesting it needs more shade than most. All the plants I had ever grown of this species turned to be monocarpic. In other words they died after flowering. After grumbling – loudly- to the Melbournians, I was sent a plant guaranteed to flower AND offset even under Adelaide conditions. So here we had the plant sending up a flower stem and only grass offsets at the base. Maurice Kellett sagely nodded his head suggesting I was a bit impetuous expecting a ‘proper’ offset this early. This Tillandsia from Central America is in an odd group that have similar traits to the giant Vrieseas from SE Brazil now called Alcantarea. However they seem to have evolved from different forebears.
Another first for Adelaide was a flowering Aechmea correia-araujoi. Ever since Len Colgan imported the plant nearly 20 years ago we have all been growing this strong pupper but never a flower in sight. Perhaps we grow it for the black splotches it has on the leaves. Len is of the opinion that we should continue to think this way because the inflorescence is almost a nothing with few clusters of lax flowers and very thin red primary bracts. The herbarium specimen, albeit dried, shows that in its native land the inflorescence can be impressive. Could it have been our hot dry summer that made it make a last ditch effort to flower?
Dyckia fosteriana. The plant Len Colgan brought in had been grown from seed collected by Rudi Schulz in Brazil and assumed to be Dyckia fosteriana but as far as I am aware no attempt has been made to identify it from its floral attributes. We must remember that Lyman Smith’s key to Dyckia does not mention leaf characteristics but everything on how the inflorescence is made up. To have a correctly identified Dyckia fosteriana in Australia would be a great feather in our cap because all Dyckia fosteriana from garden sources especially American, are highly likely to be of hybrid origin. I would willingly butcher a flower to see if it did fit. In the last Gazette I was highly critical of the way hybridists play with Dyckia and all they are doing is muddying the genetic pool. ‘Warren’ is but one example. Here we have the chance to conserve a true species so let us not botch it. One offset was in the special raffle and whoever won it must realise what a treasure they have. Dyckia offsets are notorious for being lazy rooters so be patient even if it means removing dead outside leaves as time goes by.
George Rudolph got the shock of his life when his Pitcairnia heterophylla inflorescence kept growing and growing forever upwards. He calculated it just had to be Puya mirabilis with its green lily-like flowers. Motto – Never trust the name on the label !
Adam brought in some of his hybrid Guzmanias to show they can be grown in Adelaide remembering they do appreciate air movement in the hotter weather.
Bob McGregor brought in a clump of Tillandsia where one plant was flowering. The astute members present would have noticed it was the same as my ‘laticornua’ on display at the Feb. meeting and getting a mention in the last Gazette. I keyed it out as T. simulata from Florida. It is middle size between T. bartramii and T. floridana. You would think that with the interest shown in Bromeliads by Floridians that they would have solved the problems of their native flora but alas nature keeps them on their toes. No doubt the burgeoning human population would encourage cross breeding as National Parks get more isolated. For many years T. bartramii and T. simulata were considered synonymous and T. floridana as a variety of T. fasciculata, but Harry Luther was instrumental in getting them all treated individually. Mind you, whether the true breeding T. floridana is a natural hybrid or a species is another question! To my mind ‘our’ plant is closer to T. simulata and I hope Bob writes a label accordingly.
It was good to see Joy Stinson joining the ranks of braggers with her brightly coloured Neoregelia ‘Chili Verde’. The advantage with giving good Summer light to this plant is that you have the contrast between the variegated markings of winter which almost disappear as the other colours take over in the summer.
It was a bit of a surprise to see Aechmea ‘Mend’ that Len Cork had brought in. Many of us grew this years ago but found it too much of a challenge!
There were several Tillandsia to brag about but the one of real interest was a Dimmitt hybrid – as yet unnamed- of T. duratii and T. stricta. We did not think it would flower but here it was showing a duratii type flower with pale violet petals and white centre. I am hoping that Len will photograph the plant in flower so its existence can be recorded.
Snippet :
Len Colgan gave the formal address at Vic’s 40th birthday party and it is reported that even Len Summers did not fall asleep. The following Emails occurred before the event.
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Wednesday, 21 March 2007
To: bryan.paten@optusnet.com.au
Subject: HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Hon Pres.
CONGRATULATIONS on the Victorian Society reaching 40. Life can now begin. We have lent you Big Len for a short while but please let us have him back.
From all of us over the border in the Bromeliad Society of South Australia Inc (the younger)
Uncle Derek
Secretary
Hello Derek,
Thanks for the congratulations I'll make a point of passing them on.- yes I'm sure we will be able to send Len back. maybe via China??
Regards
Bryan Paten
On behalf of all members of the Bromeliad Society of Victoria.
Stop Press :
George Rudolph wins Champion Plant at Enfield Show.
Despite our very own David Wecker and Alf Carr being two of the judges, George tells me he won several prizes including the Champion with his Vriesea fosteriana. If you do happen to talk to George he will fill you in with any missing detail!
March Show - Prize winners
Grey Tillandsioideae - Josie Tonkin Trophy – Tillandsia tectorum by Derek Butcher.
Pitcairnioideae – Margarete Reppin Trophy – Deuterocohnia brevifolia ssp. chlorantha by Derek Butcher.
Bromelioideae – President’s Trophy – Billbergia ‘Audrey’ by Bill Treloar.
Bromelioideae Best Specimen plant – Gummow Trophy – Billbergia ‘Hallelujah’ by Len Colgan.
Green Tillandsioideae – Marie Robinson Trophy – Vriesea ‘Red Chestnut’ by Margaret Butcher.
Neoregelia Trophy – Neoregelia ‘Predatress’ by Bill Treloar.
Artistic Merit Trophy – “Cuzco” by George Rudolph.
Champion Plant – Ede Schaefer Trophy – Billbergia ‘Hallelujah’ by Len Colgan.
David Wecker had the job of coordinating the Judging effort and it was good to see new faces in the judging team. Our next target is to get new faces in those bringing in display plants and thus a change in the trophy winners. You have to be in it to win it!!
Talk about keen workers! Andrew Rawlinson staggered in on the Saturday holding his chest because he felt he had bent a few ribs the night before. Apparently a few beers and a stairway don’t mix. Later on when Sam Wade called in we learnt something extra. On Tuesday after the show I received an Email which asked Uncle Derek “When watering a bromeliad collector with red wine, what is the safe dose?” I could only reply that it needs to be diluted with Adelaide tank water, whatever the cost!”
New member Geoff Jarrett who helped on the door while the Saturday morning rush was on will be able to confirm the number of suggestions made by those going out as to how we could improve our running of the sales area. But nothing was forthcoming as to how we can control the ‘frenetic’ buying as soon as the doors open. I have been involved at the sharp end on Plant Society sales for the last 40 years and have seen so many ‘ideas’ come and go and no system seems perfect. You just keep modifying! I know we were lucky in having several helpers behind the tables who helped in selling and their only recompense was being able to negotiate a purchase before the hordes were allowed in. This time they were shrewd enough to make sure their recent acquisition was not ‘re-sold’! To my mind, working members must be encouraged and this is but one way. Those who only buy were well catered for by the number of plants available for sale. Bill Treloar tells me we got nearly $2000 commission on plant sales, recouped $400 on book sales and the blokes on the door flogged nearly $300 worth of raffle tickets but final details will be presented at our May Meeting.
By midday Saturday it was embarrassing on the door because the trading table was almost bare and all you could really offer was a raffle ticket. If they were ones who had received Adam’s famous letter the statement was invariably, “I suppose I have missed the best ones.” My comment usually went on the lines, “At least you missed getting trampled on AND there are still plants to have a look at in the display” Luckily, somehow or another more plants were brought in for the Saturday afternoon and again on Sunday which was a more leisurely affair and you were able to talk about growing conditions with the customers.
I would like to thank Malcolm Campbell for getting our message across in the Messenger Newspapers – many mentioned this – and on ABC radio on the Sunday. Jon Lamb on the ABC Saturday was also mentioned as too was 5AA where Len Colgan managed to get in 60 seconds! Others to receive mention were the Ad in the Advertiser and Keith Martyn’s Almanac. To think there were also 40 new names for Adam’s mailing list!
Ever since Adda Abendroth sent seed to us from Brazil in the 1950’s we in Australia seem to have had a love affair with Neoregelia concentrica. Not the wishy washy ones you see these days but ones with leathery leaves. If you have any of these older clones at least they have a bit of a pedigree about them.
First to be given a cultivar name was ‘Ferris’. A coloured photograph of this plant appeared on the front of the Proceedings of the Australian Bromeliad Conference held in Brisbane 1985. By October 2002 I was fed up with writing ‘Neoregelia concentrica red centre from Olwen’ and decided to call it ‘Ferris’ and told you all about it.
See also Detective Derek 01/07c for more details.
Another one that has been bugging me for years is that great clone of N. concentrica ‘Albomarginate’ we can trace to Bill Morris. I was half expecting it to be given formal varietal status as Foster did with a variegated N. carolinae that cropped up in his garden but nothing has happened. So Bill’s plant has been in limbo – not a botanical entity nor a cultivar. I plan to rectify the matter here.
In Bromeletter34(4): 9. 1996 I wrote :
"In one of these early batches of seed sent to Bill from Adda Abendroth one was of Neoregelia concentrica which was all the more memorable because one of the seedlings had white variegations. He removed a couple or so of the inner leaves when the plant was large enough to withstand such treatment and he was rewarded.
The plant did not produce 'normal' offsets but a myriad of adventitious pups similar to what you expect in certain Vriesea. One of these offsets had even greater potential and was selected out. BUT the variegation was not consistent in its offsets.
Shortly after this Bill moved to Cairns and no doubt some of these plants would have left his stable. I have not been able to ascertain if this variegation has happened since but in the J. Brom. Soc. 27(4): 181. 1977 John Nicol of Melbourne reported mutation from several years before with a Neoregelia concentrica but regrettably did not know the source of his plant.
In J. Brom. Soc 33: 162. 1983 James Elmore referred to the Australian clone of Neoregelia concentrica variegata having been in the USA for many years. In 1996 Bill Morris confirmed some of my thoughts in the following letter.
Dear Derek,
Regarding the article in Bromeletter and Neoregelia concentrica marginata.(my original naming).
Yes, I did distribute it before I went to Cairns so I am sure it fairly rapidly got spread around (It was not highly variegated at first so grew fast).
Now one of its characteristics in those early days was that the offsets would come quite well variegated but as the plant matured the variegation often decreased until you would get an unvariegated plant except for the original lower leaves. If these died or were stripped off the plant would appear unvariegated. Yet, when the plant flowered and produced new offsets they would be variegated. So I have always believed that John Nicol’s plant was simply one of these plants.
Regards, Bill
So if you do have this particular clone please change its name to ‘Bill Morris’ which will be shown in the Cultivar Register as follows -
Neoregelia ‘Bill Morris’ – named by D Butcher, AU, originated as seed of concentrica from Adda Abendroth in Brazil in 1958 and grown by Bill Morris of NSW, AU. One seedling showed variegation and by selection over the years produced stable variegation, mainly albomarginate.
See ‘Uncle Derek says’, Reg Doc 1/2007, photo fcbs.org
See also Detective Derek 01/07b for more details.