Billbergia nutans
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Billbergia nutans
Ian Hook, Sydney, 09/04.

Billbergia nutans 'Red form'
Ian Hook ... "This "red form" flowers much earlier than the normal nutans and is probably an unknown hybrid.
It's leaves are wider, less stiff, and shorter. The scape and bracts are definitely red, not pink.
The flower's colour sequence is also different - the "purple" edging seen in nutans is a blue colour and not just a sharp edging."
Ian Hook 06/03. Red form.

Billbergia nutans H. Wendland ex Regel, Gartenflora 18: 162, pl. 617. 1869.
Desc from S&D
Leaves usually fasciculate, 3-7 dm long (rarely rosulate and up to 1 m long! Hassler), the outer much reduced;
Sheaths narrowly ovate, sub densely vestite with small white appressed scales;
Blades linear or very narrowly triangular, attenuate, white lepidote beneath, 6-17 mm wide, laxly serrate with slender spines 1 mm long or sometimes entire.
Scape decurved, very slender, glabrous;
Scape-bracts erect, densely imbricate, lanceolate, acute, rose.
Inflorescence pseudo-simple with very short branches, lax, usually few-flowered, glabrous;
axis slender, geniculate.
Floral bracts minute, much shorter than the ovaries, sometimes adnate to the pedicels;
Flowers in 2 ranks, sessile to short-pedicellate, divergent or erect.
Sepals narrowly elliptic, obtuse, 15-20(-27 ! Mez) mm long, rose with dark blue margins;
Petals linear, obtuse, 33-46 mm long, equaling the stamens, pale green with dark blue margins, bearing 2 large coarsely serrate scales at base;
Filaments of the second series short-connate with the petals;
pollen ellipsoid, sulcate, sculptured;
Ovary subellipsoid, 8-14 mm long, more or less sulcate, the epigynous tube large;
placentae linear; ovules obtuse.

Billbergia nutans var nutans
Billbergia linearifolia Baker, Handb. Bromel. 72. 1889. Type. Villa-rica, Paraguay, Balansa 612 (K, photo US; P), Sep 1874.
Billbergia bonplandiana Gaudichaud ex Mez, Mart. Fl. Bras. 3(3); 421, pl. 76. 1892; nomen illegitimum.
? Billbergia minuta Mez, Repert. Sp. Nov. 14: 244. 1916. Type. Frankfurt Hortus s n (B ? n v).
Billbergia amandae Weber, Feddes Repert. 97(3-4): 115-8. 1986 see Binomials 11. 2008.
Leaves serrate, green.
Petals green at extreme apex.
Type. Herrenhausen Hortus s n (LE ? n v), adequately typified by original description and plate.

From Till in Linzer biol. Beitr. 27/1: 413-421. 1995
Billbergia nutans H, WENDLAND Gartenflora 18; 162, tab. 617 (1869).
Kultiviert im Berggarten Herrenhausen, Hannover, 1872 (DR. lectotype here designated).
Note: The court gardener H. Wendland had cultivated this species in the Herrenhausen garden in Hannover and had published it as a novelty. Some living material had been brought to the garden of the university of Dresden where it had flowered in 1872. No specimen exists in Hannover nor has been hitherto traced in any herbarium. As the plant in DR doubtlessly is clonotypic it is proposed here as the lectotype.
Distribution. Epiphytic in forest, 700-1000 m alt, southern Brazil, Paraguay, Uru¬guay, northern Argentina.
BRAZIL. Sellow bromel. 60 (P); bromel. 77 (P); 4001 (B, photo F 1 1334). (Guanabara): Cultivated (?): Sao Cristovao, 10 Jun 1879, Glaziou 11678 (P, US); Quinta {da Boa Vista}, Jun 1885, Glaziou 16436 (P, US). Parana: Rio Negro, 9 Oct 1908, Dusen 6968 (S); 1932, Hoehne s n (GH, SP); Jaguariaiva, 8 Jun 1914, Dusen 15196 (GH, S); 1915, 16733 (S, US); Pinhaes, 1916, Dusen 17695 (GH, S); Tibagi, 1 Jun 1934, Reiss 58 (GH, US); 8 May 1953, Hatschbach 3382 (MBM, US); Alto da Serra, 26 Aug 1939, Foster 408 (GH); Vila Velha, Ponta Grossa, 30 Aug 1939, Foster 423 (GH); Curitiba, 3 Sep 1939, Foster 461 (GH); Iguacu, 4 Aug 1943, J. G. Kuhlmann s n (RB); Castro, Socavio, Ju11949, Stellfeld s n (Mus. Parana); Pato Branco, 21 Jan 1952, Reitz 4694 (! Reitz); Rio Capanema, Sao Antonio, 17 May 1966, Lindeman & Haas 1414 (U). Santa Catarina: Itapiranga, 1 Aug 1951, Reitz 4156 (HBR); Porto Uniao, 5 Feb 1957, L. B. Smith & Klein 10833 (HBR, R, US); 12 Ju1 1962, Reitz & Klein 13101 (HBR, US); Curitibanos, 8 Sep 1957, Reitz & Klein 4898 (HBR, US); Papanduva, 10 Ju1 1962, Reitz & Klein 13046 (HBR, US); Ireneopolis {Valoes}, 12 Jul 1962, Reitz & Klein 13103 (HBR, US); Cacador, 13 Ju11962, Reitz & Klein 13169 (HBR, US); Abelardo Luz, 26 Aug 1964, Klein 5540 (HBR, US). Rio Grande do Sul: Santo Angelo, 30 Jan 1893, Lindman A-1087 (S); Silveira Martins, Mar 1893, Lindman A-1381 (S); A-1393 (S); Nova Wurtemburg, Bornmueller 564 (GH); Pelotas, 28 Aug 1932, Beetle 2239 (US); Sao Salvador, Dec 1941, Eugenio s n (GH); 3 Aug 1946, Sehnem 2068 (LIL); Pareci Novo, 3 Oct 1945, Sehnem 1548 (LIL); Dois Irmios, 25 May 1949, Rambo s n (IAN); Montenegro, 4 Ju1 1950, Rambo s n (LIL, US). PARAGUAY. Paraguari, 27 Aug 1893, Lindman A-1877 (GH, S); Vista Alegre, upper Rio Paraguay, Ju11921 , Rojas 3872 (GH); Villa Rica, 5 Jun 1928, Jorgensen 3970 in part (DS); Colonia Independencia, 1971, Schinini 4177 (US). URUGUAY . Herter 1136a (GH); 93708 (GH); Rosengurtt B-3126 (MT). Rivera: Tranqueras, 22 Feb 1947, Castellanos s n (LIL). Montevideo: Rio Grande, cultivated, Legrand 3676 (MVM). ARGENTINA. Jujuy, Ledesma: Sierra de Calilegua, 8 Sep 1927, Venturi 5229 (GH, US). Salta: Rosario dela Frontera, 21 Ju11923, Venturi 2051 (GH, US); Ju11926, Schreiter s n (BA, GH); Sep 1934, T. Meyer 3359 (US). Cordoba: Puesto de Paraiso, 1896, Stuckert s n (G); San Vicente; 3 Sep 1897, Stuckert 7330 (G). Misiones: Bonpland, Posadas, Lillieskold s n (S); Matto Quemado, San Javier, Bertoni 2817 (LIL); Yerbal Viejo, 30 Ju11927, Burkart 1613 (BAA); Cainguas: Puerto Rico, 12 Jul 1945, J. H. Hunziker 796 (GH); Salta Tabay, 18 Jun 1949, Schwarz 7886 (LIL).

Billbergia nutans var schimperiana (Wittmack ex Baker) Mez, DC. Monogr. Phan. 9: 328. 1896.
Billbergia schimperiana Wittmack ex Baker, Handb. Bromel. 79. 1889.
Billbergia nutans var schimperiana forma rupestris Hassler, Ann. Conserv. & Jard. Bot. Geneve 20: 297. 1919. Type. Paraguay, Hassler 3283 (G, photo US).
Leaves entire.
Petals blue at apex as well as margins.
Type. Schimper 270 (holotype, K), "South Brazil, near San Bento," Santa Cata¬rina (?).
Distribution. Southern Brazil, Paraguay.
BRAZIL. Santa Catarina: Corupa, 12 Jun 1951, A. Seidel in Reitz 4042 (HBR); cultivated 13 Jun 1953, Reitz & Klein 800 (HBR, US).

Billbergia nutans var. striata Reitz, Sellowia 17: 41. 1965
Differs from Type by
Green leaves with yellow longitudinal stripes
Type Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, Bage, Leg A Seidel B n. I (1/8/1962). Holotype HBR

Detail from Bromeliaceas e a Malaria 501-504. 1983
6. BILLBERGIA SCHIMPERIANA Wittmack ex Baker
Wittmack ex Baker, Handb. Bromel. 79. 1889.
(Named after the botanist A. F. W. Schimper, who collected the type specimen on the road to Sao Bento do Sul, in Santa Catarina).
Billbergia nutans var. Schimperiana (Wittmack ex Baker) Mez, DC. Monogr. Phan. 9: 328. 1896; Reitz, Anais Bot. Herb. Barbosa Rodrigues 4: 38. 1952, loc. cit. 4: 52. 1952, Sellowia 7: 128. 1956, loc. cit. 17: 102. 1967, Anais XV Congr. Nac. Bot. 239. 1967; L. B, Smith & R. J. Downs Flora Neotropica 14 (3): 1948. 1979.
Billbergia nutans var. schimperiana forma rupestris Hassler, Ann. Conserv. & Jard. Bot. Geneve 20: 297. 1919.
EPIFITO, acaule, florifero, cespitoso, debil, elegante, acima de 0,5m de altura. FOLHAS em numero de 8 ou mais, dispostas em roseta, bem reunidas na base formando uma cisterna em tubo de m. ou m. 10cm de altura; BAINHA bem estreita, longamente triangular, com margem hialina, escamada de ambos os lados; LAMINA ate 0,8m de alt., 8-40mm de larg., sendo a das folhas internas a mais larga, estreitamente linear, estreitada para o apice e nada sobre a bainha, apice longamente agudo e filiforme, completamente inerme, bem acanalada, por cima verde e subglabra, por baixo mais branco-escamada, cartaceo-coriacea.
INFLORESCENCIA de eixo bem indefinido, bastante menor que as folhas, saindo do centro da roseta, espiga laxa, simples, pendula; ESCAPO gracilimo, esverdeado, avermelhado para o apice; FILIOLOS vaginiformes, amplexicaules, abracando apertada e tubulosamente o escapo, linear-lanceolados, com apice longamente agudo, tenros, glabros por baixo, escamados por cima especialmente para o apice, integerrimos, os inferiores esverdeados, os medianos m. ou m. rosados e esverdeados para o apice, os superiores completamente rosados, atingindo bem a inflorescencia em grande numero; RAQUIS pouco geniculada, completa e vivamente rosea, glaberrima; BRACTEAS todas muito reduzidas, escarinoso-escamosas, pouco subovadas, as inferiores de apice brevemente agudo, das superiores subobtuso, com pedicelos nas axilas, glabras. FLORES 65mm de compr., bem estipitadas, com pedicelos curtos e vivamente roseos; SEPALOS no 1/3 inferior rosados, no 1/3 mediano verdes, no 1/3 superior e pelas margens ate quase a metade anilados, glaberrimos, lineares ate a base, largamente lineares estreitandose para cima, no apice subagudos e recurvos, no restante adpressos aos petalos formando um tubo, 24mm de compr., 7mm de larg.; PETALOS verde-amarelados, com apice e margens ate alem de 1/3 a partir do apice anilados, glabros, margens pouco onduladas e enfeitadas para o apice com pequena barba (vistas com a lupa), 47mm de compr., 8mm de larg., livres ate a base, lanceolado-lineares, apice arredondado e emarginado, formando um tubo na antese, abrindo-se finalmente, zigomorfamente dispostos, apice bem recurvo, nao revo-luto, com 2 LIGULAS na base de margens superiores grossamente dentadas, com 2 calos evidentes com apices destacados, ascendentes, ate 15mm de alt.; ESTAMES quase do mesmo comprimento que os petalos, bem proeminentes na antese; FILAMENTOS linear-achatados, verde-amarelados, os interpetaleos completamente livres, os epipetaleos concrescidos ate pouco acima das ligulas, no resto completamente livres; ANTERAS aureo-amareladas, baciliforme-lineares, na base e apice arredondados, dorsifixos a 1/3 de alt., 4mm de compr. ; GRAOS de POLEN incurvos, tres vezes maiores que largos, com larga fenda longitudinal, belamente reticulados; OVARIO verdeescuro, levemente rosado para o apice, glaberrimo, subcilindrico, nao estreitado no apice, estreitado na base em pedicelo curto, longitudinal e profundamente sulcado, terminando em tubo perianteo, 19mm de compr., 4,5mm de diam.; ESTILETE verde-amarelado, gracil, trissulcado, pouquissimo maior que os estames; ESTIGMA anilado, com lobulos divididos a 4mm do apice, pouco espiraladamente contortos; PLACENTAS afixas acima do meio no angulo interno dos loculos; OVULOS em grande numero com pedicelo manifesto, grosso, arredondado, com apendice minimo e curvo no apice.
BAGA e SEMENTES nao vimos.
Tipo - Brasil, Santa Catarina: perto de Sao Bento (hoje Sao Bento do Sul), Schimper 270 (holotipo, K).
Dados fenologicos - Floresce nos meses de maio, junho e julho.
translated by Derek Butcher
EPIPHYTE, acaulis, floriferous, caespitose, weak, elegant, above 0.5m.high
LEAVES numbering 8 or more, disposed in a rosette, well gathered together at the base forming a cistern in a tube ± 10cm high;
SHEATHS very narrow, long triangular, with hyaline edges, scales on both sides;
BLADES 0.8m long 8-40mm wide, the inner leaves longer, narrow lineal, narrowed toward the apex and not above the sheath, apex long acute and filiform, completely entire, well channelled, top face green and subglabrous, below more white-scaled, chartaceous-coriaceous.
INFLORESCENCE very indefinite, axis much smaller than the leaves, from the centre of the rosette, spike lax, simple, pendulous;
SCAPE graceful, greenish, red at apex;
SCAPE BRACTS sheath-like, amplexicaul, tightly enclosing the tubular scape, linear-lanceolate, with long acute apex, slender, glabrous underneath, scales on the top especially near the apex, entire, the lower part greenish, middle ± rose and greenish toward the apex, the upper ones completely rose, reaching the inflorescence in large numbers;
RHACHIS a little geniculate, completely and animatedly rose, glabrous;
BRACTS all very reduced, scale-like, small subovate, the apex of the lower ones short acute, the upper ones subobtuse, with pedicels in the axils, glabrous.
FLOWERS 65mm long, clearly stipitate, with short pedicels and animatedly rose;
SEPALS in the lower 1/3 rose, the middle 1/3 green, the upper 1/3 and the margins almost half blue, glabrous, linear to the base, broad linear narrowing towards the top, apex subacute and recurved, the remainder adpressed to the petals forming a tube, 24mm long, 7mm wide;
PETALS green-yellowish, with apex and margins 1/3 blue starting from the apex, glabrous, margins a little wavy and decorated at the apex with small beard (viewed with a magnifying glass). Note that in Fossari’s paintings it is nutans with the whiskers), 47mm long, 8mm wide, free from the base, lanceolate-linear, rounded apex and emarginate, forming a tube at anthesis, finally opening up, zygomorphic, tip well recurved, not revolute, with 2 ligules at the base with upper margins largely dentate, with 2 evident calluses with outstanding apexes, ascending, to 15mm high;
STAMENS almost the same length as the petals, very prominent at anthesis;
FILAMENTS lineal-flattened, green-yellowish, the interpetalos ones completely free, the epipetalos connate a little above the ligulas, the rest completely free;
ANTHERS gold-yellowish, bacilliform-lineal, rounded at the base and apex, dorsifixed 1/3 high, 4mm long;
POLLEN GRAINS incurved, three times longer than wide, with wide longitudinal groove, beautifully reticulate;
OVARY dark green, slightly rose at the apex, glabrous, subcylindric, not narrowed at the apex, narrowed at the base with short pedicel, longitudinal and deeply sulcate, finishing in the perianth tube, 19mm long, 4.5mm diam.;
STYLE green-yellowish, slender, three lobed, very little longer than the stamens;
STIGMA blue, with lobes divided 4mm from the apex, a little spirally contorted;
PLACENTA attached above the middle at the internal angle of the locule;
OVULES in large numbers with obvious pedicels, thick, rounded, with minimum and curved appendix at the apex.
BERRY and SEEDS not seen.
Type - Brazil, Santa Catarina: close to São Bento (today São Bento do Sul), Schimper 270 (holotype, K).
Phenology – Flowering in months of May, June and July.

From Baker 1889
27. B. SCHIMPERIANA Wittm.-
Leaves about 14 in a rosette, linear, 2½ ft. long, ? in. broad, acuminate, green and channelled down the face, slightly furfuraceous on the back, entire. Peduncle with inflorescence shorter than the leaves, cernuous; flower-bracts remote, lanceolate, 5-6 in. long. Inflorescence a lax spike; flower-bracts minute. Sepals lanceolate, ¾-? in. long, equalling the cylindrical ovary. Petals twice as long as the sepals. Style just exceeding the petals.
Hab. South Brazil, near San Bento, Schimper 270.

Protologue
5. Billbergia linearifolia Baker, Handb. Bromel. 72. 1889. Type. Villa-rica, Paraguay, Balansa 612 (K, photo US; P), Sep 1874.
Leaves about 10 in a rosette, not connivent at the base, linear, a foot long, ¼ in. broad low down, tapering gradually to an acuminate point, moderately firm in texture, green on both surfaces, channelled down the face, the marginal prickles distant and minute. Peduncle slender, shorter than the leaves, its bract-leaves lanceolate-acumiuate, all pale, scariose and adpressed. Inflorescence a raceme with three flowers, the lowest with a long ascending pedicel.
Mature ovary green, globose, glabrous, ? - ½ in. diam.; sepals lanceolate, glabrous, ½-? in. long.
Petals twice as long as the sepals.
Hab. Paraguay; forests in the east of the Cordillera of Villa-rica, Balansa 612 ! Gathered in Sept., 1874.

From Mez 1935
47. B. minuta Mez in Fedde, Repert. XIV. (1916) 244. –
Folia 10-12 in rosulam apertam vix tubulosam ordinata, exteriora saltem mediaque recurva, rigida, intimo fere inermi excepto margine spinis ad 1 mm longis horrida, exteriora anguste intima late linearia, in apicem subpungentem sensim acutissima, usque ad 0,24 m longa, haud vittata. Inflorescentia nutans, simplicissima laxe subracemosa, perpauci-vel pauciflora, glaberrima; rhachi geniculata; bracteis florigeris minutis, squamiformibus, subovatis, pedicellis brevissimis medio adnatis. Flores ad 50 mm longi, glabri; sepalis roseis apice violaceis, ad 15 mm longis, optime rotundatis, late linearibus. Petala viridia margine late violacea, 38 mm longa, apice rotundata, deflorata porrecta.
Antherae 6 mm longae. Ovarium viride, glaberrimnm, haud sulcatum, ad 10 mm longum.
Heimat unbekannt, Sud - Brasilien oder die La- Plata - Staaten. - Ich habe die Art vom Palmengarten in Frankfurt a. M. erhalten.

translated by Butcher
Leaves 10-12 in a rosulate aperture barely arranged in a tube, exterior at least the middle recurved, rigid, innermost almost entire except for rough edges with spines to 1 mm long outside ones narrow innermost wide linear, gradually acute to a subpungent tip, up to 0.24m long, not at all banded.
Inflorescence nodding, simple lax subracemose, very few or few flowered, glabrous;
rhachis geniculate;
floral bracts minute, scale-like, subovate, pedicels very short adnate to the middle.
Flowers to 50 mm long, glabrous;
sepals pink tip violet, to 15 mm long, well rounded, wide linear.
Petals green with wide violet edges, 38 mm long, tip rounded, withered flowers porrect.
Anthers 6 mm long.
Ovary green, glabrous, not at all sulcate, to 10 mm long.
Habitat unknown, South Brazil or La Plata State – I have a specimen growing at the Palmengarten in Frankfurt de Main

Billbergia amandae Weber, Feddes Repert. 97(3-4): 115-8. 1986
Plant flowering up to 60cm high (inflorescence extended), short stolons.
Leaves suberect or moderately curved, forming a rosette to 35cm diam., pale green, suffused pink, appressed lepidote
Sheath oval, moderately distinct, up to 8cm long, 4cm wide, margins entire.
Blade linear-sub triangular, acuminate, canaliculate, to 30cm long, to 30mm wide, edges sub-dense serrulate.
Scape bent, to 35cm long, terete, 4mm diam.,
Scape bracts erect, lanceolate, more or less as long as the internodes, membranaceous, purple, well spaced lepidote at the tip.
Inflorescence simple, laxly few flowered, ca 10cm long, hanging.
Flowers sessile to 75mm long.
Floral bracts very indistinct, the minutest triangle, purple.
Sepal free, ovate lanceolate, acute, 25mm long, to 7mm wide, yellowish green, tip blue.
Petal sub-lingulate, rounded and slightly emarginate, 50m long, to 9mm wide, inside 2 long callouses and at the base 2 almost 4 sided ligules which are truncate and crenulate, blades bending outwards, pale greenish yellow, edges blue
Stamens with the style well exserted, ca. as long as the petals;
Anthers linear, to 7mm long, joined almost at the base;
Style to 60mm long, terete;
Stigma sub-erect, 6mm long, moderately divergent and irregularly curved.
Ovary sub-cylindric, to 17mm long, 6mm diam., pale green, sulcate;
placenta sub-apical: Epigynous tube very distinct
Type Leg. Amanda and Michael Bleher s.n. Brazil s. l,, Holotype WEB 58

Differs from B. nutans in:
Leaves much wider.


THE SOUTHERNMOST RECORD OF THE GENUS "BILLBERGIA" by Alberto Castellanos in BSB 2(5):51-53,56. 1952

During my botanical trips in the Republica Oriental del Uruguay the years 1946-48, I had the chance to find several novelties for the flora of that country, which I published in Lilloa XX ( 1949) 237-249. Here I present another one, which at the same time represents the southernmost locality of the geographic area of the genus Billbergia, viz. the collection of the species B. nutans on Uruguayan territory.
The present note shows not only the differences between two taxonomically related species, but also their geographical areas, viz. those of Billbergia nutans and Billbergia distachia var. straussiana.
The differences between both species may be expressed in the following way:
A Inflorescence nodding, 1-lateral. Ovary furrowed, outer tepals pink, inner green indigo-fimbriated => B. nutans
B Inflorescence subnodding, lateral with flowers nearly horizontal. Ovary strongly furrowed, outer tepals light green, with the apex scarcely blotched with indigo, and the inner ones light green => B. distachia var. straussiana

BILLBERGIA NUTANS Wendl
Wendland in Regel, Gartenflora XVIII (1869) 162, tab. 617. Baker in Curtis, Bot. Mag. CV (1879) tab. 6423. Castellanos in Descole, Genera III (1945 ) 171, tab. 36.
B. Bonplandiana Gaudichaud (1889) nomen nudum y B. Bonplandiana Mez in Fl. bras. (1892) 421, tab. 76 et Mon. (1896) 329 no.31.
B. linearifolia Baker, Brom. (1889) 72, no.5.
B. minuta Mez in Fedde, Repert. XIV (1916) 244 et Pflanzenreich (1935) 196 no.47.
Plants epiphytic or terrestrial, in the latter case rhizomatic (±60cm high) with dark green phyllodes, band shaped and canaliculated (±70cm long X 1.5-2cm broad ), the face bright, the back grayish, with spinulose margins, the apex extended and generally dead. Meritals central (±40cm long X 4mm diameter) covered with bracts longer than the internodes, the lower ones greenish and the upper ones pinkish (±9cm long X 2cm broad) with the dorsal side scarcely lepidote.
Inflorescence nodding, subracemose, glabrous, with the axis zig-zaged, whitish, 2mm in diameter, with 10-12 flowers each 5cm long with a brownish bracteol, deltoid, 2mm high, ovary green (±13mm long X 6mm diameter), irregularly furrowed with infinite white and appendiculated ovules; external tepals imbricated, triangular (±2cm long X 6mm broad) pinkish, and blue at the apex. Interior tepals fasciolated, acute (±35mm long X 6mm broad), with two green basal ligules with laciniated margin; from the calyx upwards slightly revolute and with blue margin; stamens of the same length with green filaments and dorsifix anthers, yellow, thin and long (±8 mm long); style green, cylindrical, 3.4-4cm long, ending in three stigmatic branches (4mm long) which rise twisted and untwist at maturity. Protandric. Berry somewhat dry, and rugose.
Type locality: The species was described from a cultivated plant of un-known origin.

Material studied.-Uruguay; depto. Rivera, 20 km from Tranqueras and 3.75 km from the Brasilian frontier, in Campo de los Potreros, in the place known as Subida de Mendez at 31° 10', leg. Castellanos 22 II 1947, LIL, no.15. 303.
Geographical area.- From Minas Geraes (Brasil) southwards, passing through Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Santa Catharina, Rio Grande do Sul, Paraguay, Uruguay to the north of Argentina, in the botanical provinces, Tucumano-boliviana or Yunga (Rosario de la Frontera in Salta and Calilegua in Jujuy), Misionera, Correntino-paraguaya (in several localities) and Uruguaya north of Tranqueras.
Obs.-Cultivated in Buenos Aires, this year (1951) it flowered in August, an opportunity we used to classify it. Up till now this species was not known with certainty to occur in Uruguayan territory. The quoted latitude is up till now the most southerly point of the geographic area of the genus.

BILLBERGIA DISTACHIA (Vell.) Mez. var. STRAUSSIANA (Wittm.) Smith
Smith in Anais Bot. Herb. "Barbosa Rodrigues" II (1950) 13, pg. 3 of the separate.
Syn.-Tillandsia distachia Velloso, Fl. flum. (1825) 137, Icon. III (1835) tab. 141 sub distaceia.
Billbergia pallescens Koch et Bouche ap. Baker in Curtis, Bot. Mag. (1878 ) tab. 6342.
B. Bakeri E. Morren in Belg. Hart. XXX (1880) 166, tab. 8.
B. Bakeri Morr. var. straussiana Wittmack in Gartenz. IV (1885) 487.
B. caespitosa Lindman, Bromeliaceae herb. Regnelliani (1891) 35, tab. 8, fig. 41-46.

Plants in the vegetative part similar to those of the preceding species, but the phyllodes (±50cm long X 1.5-2.5cm broad) and with yellowish spots irregulary distributed. Meritals central (±20-32cm long X 7mm diameter) covered with bracts longer than the internodes, the lower bracts greenish-yellowish and the upper pinkish (±7-11cm long X 1.5-2mm broad) and with the dorsal side sparingly lepidote.
Inflorescence loosely subracemose, subnodding, lateral, glabrous, few flowered, generally of four almost horizontal (±6-6.5cm broad) flowers, very shortly pedunculated (peduncle 1mm long) and the bracteole squamiform; ovary green (±8mm long X 4mm broad) longitudinally furrowed; exterior tepals deltoid (±15mm long X 5mm broad), green and with the apex scarcely spotted with indigo; the interior tongue-shaped, canaliculated, bright green and without spots (±4cm long X 5mm broad); stamens a little shorter, with yellow anthers more than 4mm long; style green, 4cm long.
Type locality.-Brasil: Santa Catharina.
Mat. stud.-Cultivated specimens from Brasil, Com. Kolischer 1947.

Geographical area.-From Minas Geraes (Brasil) to the south, passing through Rio de Janeiro to Sao Paulo. It is apparent that its area is smaller than that above mentioned species and restricted to Brasilian territory.
Obs.-Cultivated in Buenos Aires, it produced flowers twice during the second half of June, whereas B. nutans always flowers in the second half of August.

Mez, Mon. (1896) 329 no.31 considered B. caespitosa Lindm. (1891) and B. linearifolia Bak. (1889) synonymus of B. Bonplandiana Gaud., an opinion he did not maintain in Pflanzenreich (1935) 197 no.48, where he claimed that B. caespitosa Lindm. and B. Bonplandiana Gaud. were synonymus of B. linearifolia Bak. The type of this species of Baker is Balansa no.612, which Hassler consulted for his Brom. parag. consp. (1919) 296 and considered as B. nutans Wendl.; at the same time the type of B. Bonplandiana Gaud. is Bonpland no.1110 collected in Corrientes but its description was not published (nomen nudum) . The description of Mez, mon. (1896) 329 no.31 B. Bonplandiana: "Petalis virentibus apice margeneque indigotinis," . . . does not correspond to this species. And that of the same author in (1935} 197 no.48 B. linearifolia: "sepalis viridibus apice indigotino-maculatis," agrees with this species, but it does not when he adds: "petala viridia late violaceo marginata." . . .
Mez in Fedde, Repert. XIV (1916) 244 says for B. minuta: "sepalis roseis apice violaceis . . . Petala viridia margine late violacea," . . . data which constitute the essential character of B. nutans. See that species.
In dry conditions it is difficult to distinguish both species because the colours disappear and the disposition of the flowers is not so well seen as in fresh conditions. The only character one has to take into account is the dimensions of the organs.


Billbergia nutans H. Wendland ex Regel, Gartenflora 18: 162, pl. 617. 1869. By Derek Butcher July 2016
This species is very common in Bromeliad collections around the world but not closely examined. It was not until 1983 that we were informed by Reitz that the petals have whiskers at the tips. I have found them in every plant I have examined in Australia but it would appear that they can be easily removed by heavy rain! Luckily I live in Adelaide where you do not get heavy rain very often. There is also the possibility that you can get whiskers at the end of the sepals!
I have already looked at B. nutans (see BILLBERGIA NUTANS by Derek Butcher Sth.Australia in Bromeletter 31(6): 14. 1993) where I was mainly looking at different forms that seemed to be grown in England, the USA and Australia.
I have only recently been asking if anyone is growing Billbergia nutans var schimperiana (Wittmack ex Baker) Mez, DC. Monogr. Phan. 9: 328. 1896. or Billbergia schimperiana Wittmack ex Baker, Handb. Bromel. 79. 1889. remembering that Smith & Downs (1979) treated it at varietal level but Reitz ( 1983) treated it at species level. The only trace I can find is a photo by Michael Andreas on fcbs.org and not even Don Beadle seems to have grown it.
Because there have been synonyms added since the protologues were written I decided to find out if B. schimperiana should be treated as a synonym of B. nutans.

First let us look at B. nutans in S&D (1979)
Billbergia nutans var nutans
Billbergia linearifolia Baker, Handb. Bromel. 72. 1889. Type. Villa-rica, Paraguay, Balansa 612 (K, photo US; P), Sep 1874.
Billbergia bonplandiana Gaudichaud ex Mez, Mart. Fl. Bras. 3(3); 421, pl. 76. 1892; nomen illegitimum.
? Billbergia minuta Mez, Repert. Sp. Nov. 14: 244. 1916. Type. Frankfurt Hortus s n (B ? n v).
Billbergia amandae Weber, Feddes Repert. 97(3-4): 115-8. 1986 (leaves wider) see Binomials 11. 2008.
Leaves serrate, green.
Petals green at extreme apex.
Type. Herrenhausen Hortus s n (LE ? n v), adequately typified by original description and plate.
If we followed Smith, horticulturists would not be growing B. nutans because all seem to have a blue tip to the petals.
What I find interesting here is that the protologue does say for petals ‘caerulea linea marginata’ but the accompanying plate 617 clearly shows blue tips. This blue tip is confirmed in Reitz (1983)

Now let us look at S&D (1979)
Billbergia nutans var schimperiana (Wittmack ex Baker) Mez, DC. Monogr. Phan. 9: 328. 1896.
Billbergia schimperiana Wittmack ex Baker, Handb. Bromel. 79. 1889.
Billbergia nutans var schimperiana forma rupestris Hassler, Ann. Conserv. & Jard. Bot. Geneve 20: 297. 1919. Type. Paraguay, Hassler 3283 (G, photo US).
Leaves entire.
Petals blue at apex as well as margins.
Type. Schimper 270 (holotype, K), "South Brazil, near San Bento," Santa Catarina (?).
Distribution. Southern Brazil, Paraguay.

We are having problems in getting access to the holotype Schimper 270 at Kew. Although there are several herbarium specimens there, Schimper 270 is missing. So we will never know if only the centre leaves are entire as stated by Mez (1935). Petal colour is not mentioned in Baker (1889) but if we go to Wittmack, Gartenflora 40. 167. 1891 we find a differential “Billbergia nutans H. Wendl is very close, differs by being longer, at the base hardly wider, leaves without spines, narrower, long, heavily ribbed ovary, similar to the ribs on B. bakeri E. Morr.” Note here that B. bakeri is now treated as a synonym of B. distachia var. straussiana. No mention of colour except the following (The flowers as stated by Mr. Prof. SCHIMPER are blue.)

The only difference I can see is in the leaves which have spiny edges in B. nutans but entire in B. schimperiana. In all the various forms of B. nutans I have checked I have found spines from significant especially on outer leaves to negligible especially on inner leaves. As such B. schimperiana should be treated as a synonym of B. nutans.

It could be said we are coming full circle because Mez (1935) treated B. schimperiana as a synonym of B. nutans where we also see his key.
Key
* Leaves innermost each densely spined.
" Leaves rigid, interior ones very wide linear => 47. B. minuta
" " Leaves flexible, all very narrow linear => 48. B. linearifolia
** Leaves innermost unarmed => 49. B. nutans

Both B. minuta and B. linearifolia are now treated as synonyms of B. nutans.

The only outstanding item is:
Billbergia nutans var. striata Reitz, Sellowia 17: 41. 1965
Differs from Type by
Green leaves with yellow longitudinal stripes
Type Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, Bage, Leg A Seidel B n. I (1/8/1962). Holotype HBR
Following my views and confirmed in The World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, variegates are better covered by the ICNCP rules and thus captured in the Bromeliad Cultivar Register if possible. Whether Billbergia ‘Santa Barbara’ has links to this taxon will never be known.

Literature cited
Baker, J. G. 1889. Handbook of the Bromeliaceae
Mez, C. 1935, Das Pflanzenreich Regni vegetabilis conspectus, Bromeliaceae
Reitz, Raulino. 1983. Bromeliaceas Ea Malaria – Bromelia endemica
Smith, L.B. & Downs, R.J. 1979. Bromeliaceae ( Bromelioideae) Flora Neotropica Monograph 14(3)


BILLBERGIA NUTANS by Derek Butcher Sth.Australia in Bromeletter 31(6): 14. 1993
(note the contradiction in Reitz’s words and the paintings of whiskers for nutans but not schimperiana!)
I have already written about the doubt that existed in 1964 or thereabouts of the authenticity of the Aussie B. nutans and have been obtaining other material to compare. Fossari's paintings in R. Reitz's book 'Bromeliaceas' give you a clue of what to expect with the only argument being whether B. schimperiana is a species in its own right or a variety of B. nutans. Whatever, they look very similar with B. schimperiana having more blue AND a blue tip in the petals and more green in the sepals. The drawing clearly shows "whiskers" on the petal of B. nutans but the artist has been carried away with this facet. Yes, they are there because I've found them in every specimen I have looked at, but I do have a dissecting microscope which is very helpful!

If we talk about the shape of the plant, the Aussie version seems to sway between B. nutans and B. schimperiana depending how it feels at the time. I've never seen self set seed on the Aussie version (can someone prove me wrong? ) so I was surprised to get seed from England of all places. Yes, I have a contact over there. The seed germinated and plants flowered this year for the first time. From now on this will be called the Pommie version, and although offsetting, it is being consistent. Not like ours, but time may tell a different story. The flowers do have whiskers and it does look like a nutans.

And then there is the 3rd form or the Yankee job because it came to this country via Harry Luther, although who actually imported it I do not know.
It is smaller than either the Aussie or the Pommie version but the leaves are much more prickly. B. schimperiana is said to have no spines at all!
In fact the Yankee job seems very close to a description given in 'Bromeliaceae' by Mez published in 1934 (and is in the B.S.A. library). This book, by the way, makes very interesting reading to the serious collector but you need to know a bit of Latin. The plant was called Billbergia minuta and known for its dense spines, but before you change the label this was reduced to synonymy under B. nutans in Smith & Downs.
Yes, B. nutans is a common plant grown by lots of people including Bromeliad growers, ordinary gardeners and ordinary non-gardeners. It has lots of common names but turns up with uncommon discussion points. Does the Aussie version set seed? Has anyone grown these to maturity? Is the "bald" B. schimperiana around and true to type?


MORE ON BILLBERGIA NUTANS by Derek Butcher, Sth. Australia in Bromeletter 32(1): 5. 1994
You can now be a bit more scientific instead of using "The Yankee job" because Harry Luther tells me that the plant he sent to Australia was collected in Paraguay; Colonia San Antonio, South of Pto. Stroessner and goes under the number of SEL 84-538. I got my plant from Olive Trevor of "The Olive Branch" and I feel sure that it has to be the same clone that Harry sent over. The plant offsets well and seems reluctant to set seed. So unless we find anything to the contrary I would suggest you put SEL 84-538 on the label because it links the plant with the actual herbarium specimen. This seems preferable to just saying "This is the plant that came from Selby Gardens."
"The Pommie job" continues to grow on in my collection and I have noticed that every flower has set seed. This is the first time I have seen this phenonenon on a Billbergia nutans so something must be very fecund.

Updated 31/05/21