was Vriesea brassicoides
now Stigmatodon brassicoides
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Stigmatodon brassicoides
From the large inselbergs around Rio.
| Bruce Dunstan 03/13. Originally mounted on wood, now potted and fertilised. |
Peter Tristram 12/15. |
Peter Tristram. - "This looks live a Tillandsia, but it's not. It has the fragrance of an intense, ‘sweet’ frangipani – delightful! I got this Vr. brassicoides from John Arden a few years ago, taking my eye as it was more purple than my others. Incidentally, they were also ‘collected’ by Len Colgan, in a nursery in Brazil yonks ago. I haven’t bloomed one of these for some years though. Hopefully the Arden form will self and produce viable seed.
| Peter Tristram, in habitat 2007. |
Peter Tristram. - "Bruce Dunstan proved this baby responds to fertiliser so I will feed it up, as well as my other specimens, hopefully getting many more pups.
These lithophytic Vrieseas from eastern Brazil are very interesting plants but so hard to source, especially with Brazil 'closed'. Not all thrive in cultivation but some do. I did get Vr. harry-lutheri from
John Arden too, but the small pup died in Quaranteen. I had it years ago, as large specimens (then labelled Vr. appariciana), but they simply bloomed and died. Bummer! The only other similar species I have bloomed recently is Vr. oligantha and, thankfully, it does pup. Chris Larson bloomed Vr. belloi too.
In 2007 I saw Vr. brassicoides clinging to the cliffs on the way up Pedra Gavea near Rio - stunning adaption! Look to the right of the face then check the later pic of the brassicoides clinging to the sheer rockface. Some of those plants must be many centuries old.
Stigmatodon brassicoides (Baker) Leme, G.K. Br. & Barfuss, comb. nov. Phytotaxa 279(1): 001-097. 2016
Basionym:—Tillandsia brassicoides Baker, J. Bot. 26: 12 (1888), Type:—Burchell 1393 (holo K!)
= Vriesea brassicoides (Baker) Mez in C. DC., Monogr. phan. 9: 598 (Jan 1896)
Vriesea brassicoides (Baker) Mez, DC. Monogr. Phan. 9: 598. 1896.
Tillandsia brassicoides Baker, Jour. Bot. London 26: 12. 1888.
Desc from S&D
Plant flowering slightly over 4 dm high.
Leaves numerous, 2-3 dm long, densely ferruginous-lepidote throughout;
Sheaths suborbicular, more than half as long as the blades;
Blades narrowly triangular, 28 mm broad at base, uncinnate-recurved at apex.
Scape erect, rather stout;
Scape-bracts erect, broadly elliptic with decurrent auricles, acute, 25 mm long, distinctly shorter than the internodes, coriaceous.
Inflorescence simple, laxly 6-8 flowered, ca 13 cm long;
Rhachis stout, flexuous; internodes straight, angled.
Floral bracts erect or secund with the flowers, suborbicular, obtuse, ecarinate, 23 mm long, about equaling the internodes, much exceeded by the sepals, thick, coriaceous;
Flowers suberect to spreading, strongly secund;
pedicels stout, 8 mm long.
Sepals elliptic, obtuse, 27 mm long, very thick and coriaceous;
Petals and stamens unknown.
Type. Burchell 1393 (holotype K, GH photo), near summit of Corcovado, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 31 Dec 1825.
DISTRIBUTION. Near vertical rock faces of peaks, 850 m alt, Rio de Janeiro, Guana-bara, Brazil.
BRAZIL. GUANABARA: Near summit of Pedra da Gavea, 8 Apr 1952, L. B. Smith & Mus R no.6430 (R, US).
Updated 28/10/24