Guzmania Fortuna
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Guzmania Fortuna
BCR ... "cv. of Guzmania lingulata (Panama) - Tropiflora said, 'Native to the misty cloud forest covered mountain peaks of northern Panama where it remained an elusive treasure for years - A medium sized 16inch high and 18inch wide grower w/discolored leaves having a purple cast - the inflorescence is a massive rosette of fluorescent red bracts each tipped in clear white'. Lingulata Group
"
cv. of lingulata. H.Luther <1990.
JBS 40:240ill; 45:115, CargoRpt#6-5, DeLeonCat1994ill, Deroose 1997
A Beautiful Guzmania from Panama by Chester Skotak in Journ Brom Soc 50(1): 31. 2000
The town of El Cope sits just a few kilometres from the continental divide in the Cocle Province of Panama. The nearby forest is my favorite place to roam and be overwhelmed by nature at its best.
I am always surprised to hear others talk about bromeliads of this area, or read articles concerning them, that do not mention Guzmania lingulata 'Fortuna'. Mark Whitten of the Florida Museum of Natural History collected this plant in 1984 and Harry Luther and John Kress collected a similar plant at Fortuna, in the Chirique Province of Panama in 1986. I have also found this plant in Santa Fe, Veraguas Province. The El Cope form is distinguished from the Fortuna form in that the inflorescence has a more conical appearance. The Santa Fe form is an intermediate between the two. I believe that in the future it may become a separate species.
In the three places that I have seen this Guzmania, it is always in association with Guzmania musaica, a dark leaf form of Guzmania lingulata, and Guzmania glomerata. These three plants could well be involved in what I consider to be a recent and ongoing hybrid swarm. However, I will leave this possibility for others to examine and simply send along this photo to show that nature can produce amazing bromeliads all on its own. Not all spectacular bromeliads need come out of someone's hybidizing program.
Updated 06/06/24
