Neoregelia Brazil ? Click thumbnails for full size, scaled to a new window.
Neoregelia Brazil ?
"Brazil" Richard Harper, The Brom Place.
"Braz-el" Bob Smythe.
"Brazil" (from Brisbane) Sam Mammino.
Sam Mammino. File = Gee Wizz x Brazil
Emails so far..... From Rob Smythe's July Newsletter. Neo. Brazil; apparently the real N. Brazil is a N. carolinae so the giant plant carrying this name in our garden needs another name. Since Shane’s first book showed that memorable photo of Grace Goode’s diminutive hand held over this giant plant we have called it ‘Brazil species’ or with Shane’s name tag ‘Species from Brazel’. With time, these have been falling away to just Neo. Brazil. To remove the confusion I am negotiating a new name with Derek. I have chosen names which should twig your memory when you see a former name on your plant. I have suggested N. Braz El or Neo Braz-el or some similar concoction. Not sure what Derek accepted yet but he is going ahead with its registration.From Ian Hook 04/07/07. Rob: A few days after getting your newsletter, I received a photo submission from Richard Harper for a Neo. Brazil (unknown parentage).
For once my memory reacted correctly ! I have sent your Newsletter comments to Richard, and he said...
"Yes, sound about right. Mine did come from Qld."From Rob Smythe 11/07/07. Ian. Just catching up. Not sure what spelling Derek has accepted but it wont be ‘Brazil’. The plant is a giant. Differs from other N. correa-arujois however you spell it by its size and having broader leaves. I don’t remember mine having as much colour towards the centre but Grace’s obviously does. I suspect they are the same plant. I have seen another plant around called N. cruenta ‘Fairchild’ which looks similar though it does not look like a cruenta. I have not even looked up fcbs but I have a pup and will look again when it matures.From Rob Smythe 11/07/2007. Hi Ian. Looked up fcbs and the plant that I spoke to you about which confuses with Brazil?,is there N. johannis ‘Fairchild’. I can’t even find my photo of the so called Brazil?? of mine. God knows what name it has on it. Maybe you should send Richard Harper’s photo to Derek. Much more colourful than I remember mine being. More like the photo in Zaghinis book. I will cc this to Derek to let him know. Derek, Sam Mammino has an excellent photo as well which you might like to chase up. Rob.From Derek Butcher 12/07/07. Ian: Don't forget 'Star of Brazil' which is really Neo. magdalenae! UDFrom Sam Mammino. Hi Derek this is the photo of my neo brazil , Bob Smythe asked me to send it to you. Regards sam mammino.From Derek Butcher 14/07/07. Sam. Thanks for photo. You may as well be in the discussion. Can anyone trace where 'Brazil' got its name? It looks awfully similar to 'Braz-el which we know is in Zaghini's book as 'species from Brazel'. I have a gut feeling that someone else got a plant from Zaghini called Brazel and changed it to 'Brazil'!!! The plants look very similar. Are the differences cultural? Did Zaghini have more than one clone?
The name 'Brazil' has already been used for a form of carolinae so I frown heavily on its use again for another plant. Over to you lot?From Rob Smythe 17/07/2007. Hi Richard, Sam,
Still messing around with this Neo Brazel --Zuginni mentions in his book. I stuffed up a bit sending a wrong photo to Derek. In my opinion I now think the three of us have photographed one and the same clone. Derek would like us to trace our plants back if possible. Do you know the origin of your plant.From Derek Butcher 18/07/07. Rob, Richard & Sam
I can see Rob having to write an erudite article for Bromeliaceae - the Qld Journal, explaining the reason for naming 'Braz-el' , species Brazel of Zaghini, Brazil by those who just corrected Zaghini's spelling and 'Fairchild'. We must remember that the name 'Fairchild' came into being before the Floridians realised that the plant was really a Neo. johannis. It was a case of nurserymen getting in before taxonomists. Because no hybridising has taken place - as far as we can guess - these plants could all be considered TAXONOMICALLY as the same species. The edges are clouded by Neo. correia-araujoi which shares so many attributes with N. johannis except habitat. If you don't know where the plants were collected you are behind the eight ball!
If the problem is to be solved cultivar-wise, clear differences need to be quoted.
To think this situation could have been avoided if Shane had accepted my offer to help him on plant identification before he went to print!From Rob Smythe 18/07/2007. Derek: I think you are right. We will go round in ever decreasing circles till we disappear..... Richard got his from Catlan, Sam from his brother and mine from Tony. With Catlan coming into the equation I don’t think we will come back to a common origin with GG plant. Sam and I waiting on replies. Will keep you informed.From Rob Smythe 24/07/2007. Richard, I have changed my photo. The one you depicted could be my plant of N.johannis 'Fairchild'. It is a long story but when I was juggling names around on my computer after realizing the plant that I was given as N. cruenta 'Fairchild' was actually N. johannis 'Fairchild' to add to the confusion I finished up with two different plants named 'Fairchild'. Cutting things short I photographed a N. Braz-el again growing quite apart from the other two. I sent this to Derek to use if he goes ahead with naming. It is a young plant so also not as coloured as yours. I
thought I sent this to you?? Please change my photo to the new one.From Richard Harper 24/07/07. Hi Ian, not to confuse it all but Rob mentioned Fairchild.
I have a Fairchild or cruenta Fairchild and it is much pinker than Brazel, more upright and larger.
