JOURNAL
OF THE BROMELIAD SOCIETY
Volume 62(4): 145-192
July - August 2012
JOURNAL OF THE BROMELIAD SOCIETY
VOLUME 62(4): 146-193
JULY - AUGUST 2012
EDITOR: Evan Bartholomew, 13-3385 Moku St., Pahoa, HI, 96778, USA
email contact informaion: editor@bsi.org
PRINTED: Dec, 2012 by Fidelity Press, Orlando, Florida, U.S.A.
Issued and © 2012 by the Bromeliad Society Internaional
ISSN 0090-8738
Front Cover: Pitcairnia sp. nov. photo by
Bruce Dunstan. Story on pg. 148
Back Cover: Guzmania multilora. Photo
by Bruce Dunstan. Story on pg. 148
PUBLICATION INFORMATION: The Journal is published bimonthly by the Bromeliad
Society Internaional. All scieniic aricles are peer reviewed, and author guidelines
are available from the Editor. Authors are requested to declare any aricle they intend
to, or have already published elsewhere.
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD: David H. Benzing, Gregory K. Brown, Jason Grant,
Elton M.C. Leme, Thomas U. Lineham Jr., Harry E. Luther, Walter Till.
Permission is granted to reprint aricles from the Journal, in whole or in part, provided credit is given to the author and to the Bromeliad Society Internaional.
146
JBS 62(4). 2012
PAGE 148
PAGE 173
PAGE 167
PAGE 177
PAGE 181
CONTENTS
Colombia Revisited
Bruce Dunstan
he Use Of Epiphytic Bromeliads In Easter Festivities in Zaachila, Oaxaca,
Mexico
Elia Ma. del Carmen Méndez García & Demetria Mondragón
x Biltanthus
Derek Butcher
Billbergia ‘heodore L Mead’ Revisited
Derek Butcher
Herbert Plever - Over 50 Years With he BSI
Peter Tristram
he BSI Is On Facebook
Adam Bodzioch
JBS 62(4). 2012
148
167
173
177
181
189
147
GENERAL
Colombia Revisited
Bruce Dunstan
Figure 1. The author collecting Tillandsia aff. schultzii seed. Photo by Steve Villiers
148
JBS 62(4). 2012
GENERAL
Colombia Revisited
Figure 2. Tillandsia myriantha
Heliconias took me back to Colombia this year. With the Heliconia Society International
conference being held in El Valle de Anton in Panama in August the opportunity to spend
another couple of weeks in Colombia on the road was too great to miss. Once again I
had the pleasure of travelling with Emilio Constantino, a native Colombian from Cali
who specialises in taking people into the bush in Colombia to see plants, birds, cultural
activities, etc and ensuring they return to tell the story. Emilio’s facebook page (http://
www.facebook.com/emilio.constantino) is essential viewing for anyone who has an
interest in what grows or happens in Colombia, with thousands of amazing images ready
for viewing. I’ve even joined facebook, to my horror, to help Emilio get some names to
some of his images. I’d suggest you give yourself a couple of hours to scroll through them.
Travelling with me this year were two old friends of mine, Dave Quigley who went to high
school with me and has always wanted to come along on one of my plant trips, as well as
Steve Villiers who came to Panama and the Caribbean with me in 2007.
With lots of planning and studying, I spent many a weekend locked onto my computer
looking at herbarium specimens, plant descriptions, maps, Google Earth, with the app
From Missouri Botanical Gardens attached, showing collections, etc., in preparation, also
at the same time driving my partner mad with my obsession. It payed off in spades as we
spent less time driving around not seeing what we were looking for and more time seeing
what we were after.
Arriving in Bogota, Emilio picked us up at the airport and we were off, in his new
JBS 62(4). 2012
149
GENERAL
Colombia Revisited
4WD, ready for action. As we travelled in the higher elevations around Bogota, we saw
Vriesea tequendamae growing in trees along the side of the road, with their red, pendent
inflorescences hanging down. I was keen to lose elevation and find my first Heliconia so
away we went towards the Rio Magdalena and down the western slope of the Cordillera
Oriental, towards Sasaima.
Stopping for a late lunch allowed me to eat quickly and disappear along the road to see
what was growing around our restaurant, while my travelling companions finished lunch
at a leisurely rate and then discussed how truly crazy I was. Large flowering Tillandsia
fendleri with pink bracts were growing in the trees close by and were stunning! After
seeing the red-and-yellow bracted plants in Peru, seeing bright pink ones on day 1 was
very exciting. The inflorescences were easily 1 m tall and flowering in all their glory. Also
growing in the trees were Tillandsia myriantha forming large stoloniferous colonies.
We headed further down the range, losing elevation and arrived at Guaduas just on
sunset. Thinking wisely, we elected to stay in a hotel out of town and were assured a good
night’s sleep, without the nocturnal noise of some Colombian towns (more on this to
follow). The next day we were off, back up the hill to explore around the Villeta region.
Growing in the trees were some large Aechmeas with large upright inflorescences that I
assumed were A. mexicana but could be A. latifolia. Also growing in the same trees were a
plants of a tall upright Racinaea species, R. michelii, with flower spikes that were over 60 cm
tall. I had assumed it was R. spiculosa, a very wide-spread species that I’d seen previously
in Panama and it just goes to show I know nothing about Racinaeas. After finding the
particular Heliconia species I was after at that locality, H. estiletioides, we found another
couple of species, with one potentially new. Colombia is the home of the red pendent
Heliconia so another one is hardly earth shattering and previous collectors have joked
about these red pendants to the point a tee shirt was even produced mocking them.
Further along the road, back up the hill, we came across a beautiful Tillandsia in spike,
up a tree alongside the road, but just not at flowering stage. It had pendent spikes with
colourful salmon bracts. Even better was another plant of the same species further along
with seed happily blowing away in the breeze. This necessitated me climbing the tree!
After seeing the image of Eric Gouda in a tree and exuding the Zen-like calm of a master
of martial arts, I’d have to say my technique is more that of an enthusiastic scrambler. I
had to climb a few trees on this trip to get either seed or images of plants without coming
to grief. The steep climbs up banks and slopes are much scarier as one slip and you are
headed towards a hard surface with no control. I lost count of the number of plants that I
just couldn’t clamour up to, or even get close enough to, to take a good photo. I find that a
lot of the plants I am really interested in getting up close and personal to document and
photograph seem to grow on inaccessible slopes -highly frustrating - but it just makes for
even more anticipation of ‘doing it’ again.
Having secured what I was after we were off along the road down to the Rio Magdalena.
Once we were down at the river the heat was noticeable, as we had lost the modifying
influence of elevation. We were approximately 50 north of the equator and really in the
lowlands so the temperature rose, not a bad thing though, as we had left the Brisbane
winter behind. Growing alongside the road just north of La Dorada, we spotted a flowering
Pitcairnia and I am still uncertain of its true identity but suspect it may be P. fluvialis. We saw
lots and lots of Pitcairnias but July doesn’t seem to be a good time to see them flowering in
the lowlands. We drove past lots of different colonies in varying locations with hardly any
150
JBS 62(4). 2012
GENERAL
Colombia Revisited
Figure 3. Racinaea michellii
in flower. Further along the river, in the large roadside trees, we saw colonies of flowering
Aechmea nivea or nallyii as well as Tillandsia fasiculata. Last year, along the Rio Cauca, I saw
thousands of Tillandsia mima but they don’t seem to cross the central range, as we saw none
along the Rio Magdalena valley this year.
JBS 62(4). 2012
151
GENERAL
Colombia Revisited
Our next stop was the Agua Clara Nature Reserve. This protected reserve is a very steep
valley of marble, through which flows a beautiful clear river. On a quick morning walk
along the river before breakfast, just after dawn, I discovered a cat track in the mud
which, judging by the size, I thought may have been an Ocelot, but I have since discovered
the shape of the pads suggest it was made by a young puma, very exciting, but I’m glad
they tend to be nocturnal. Growing in the trees were many flowering Guzmania lingulata
that were being visited by hummingbirds at that early hour as well. After an amazing
raft ride down through the gorge, under tall trees laden in bromeliads, mainly Werauhia
sanguinolenta and W. gladioliflora with a few Aechmea tillandsioides, we jumped back in the car
and headed further along the Rio Magdalena up into Santander State.
In the lowlands the heat of the day was punishing. We were off to a nature reserve that
Emilio had heard about and we spent more than an hour travelling along a flat bumpy
road hoping to get closer to the forest that we could see in the distance. Along the way we
spotted a chestnut-rumped toucan, small green parrots and plenty of other bird species
that would keep twitchers busy. The morning seemed a waste of time until we spotted a
tree just beginning to flower. We stopped and wandered out into the cattle paddock where
it was growing, for a closer look. It had blue flowers obviously from the Caesalpinnaceae
family but it was nothing that I have seen in all my years of hanging around botanical
gardens, nurseries and private gardens. The tree was literally loaded in racemes of buds
up to 1m long, with as many as 60 buds per raceme. We had luckily come along just as it
was starting to flower; had we been the week earlier we would have driven past without
even noticing the tree. The tree turned out to be Brachycylix vegeleri, a monotypic species
and one of a number of endemics that only grow in the Magdalena Medio. It was described
in the ‘70s from near where we found our tree and, from what I can gather, it has never
made it out of the region, let alone into cultivation. To me it is one of the most ornamental
flowering trees I’ve ever seen, giving Amherstia a run for its money as the most ornamental
flowering tree in the world.
From the lowlands we headed up the slope towards Velez as this particular road had
8 Heliconia species described along it in the early ‘80s. We could see the Serrania de San
Lucas in the distance. This small range appears as an outlier from the Cordillera Oriental
and has been a stronghold for guerrillas over the years so definitely hasn’t been visited
by botanists and remains largely intact with no roads or deforestation spoiling its beauty.
As we gained altitude we noticed more bromeliads with Tillandsia juncea and T. andreana
growing on trees at mid elevation. I noticed that the cocoa trees being cultivated alongside
the road were loaded in T. andreana. Towards the top of the range the trees were heavy with
epiphytes including more Tillandsia fendleri, this time with reddish foliage, pink spikes and
yellowish paddles.
After achieving most of what I’d wanted to do along this route, we headed back down
the slope again, towards the Rio Magdalena and started to climb the central cordillera
heading to the northern slopes. As we began our climb we saw plenty of Tillandsia fasiculata
again, growing in roadside trees. In a patch of forest remnant, Vriesea heliconioides was
spotted growing in the shade, happily flowering. It wasn’t until we had gotten up onto
the central range that we saw more diversity in broms. At one stop, high on the range,
the stunted trees were loaded iwith Tillandsia and Racinaea. Notable was what may be T.
somnians or T. denudata glowing wine-red due to the UV exposure I imagine. These plants
had tall, thin inflorescences, taller than 1m, with arching branches. They were not yet in
flower so I imagine they would also later produce the typical viviparous offsets so common
152
JBS 62(4). 2012
GENERAL
Colombia Revisited
Figure 4. Brachycylix vegeleri – a spectacular lowering tree
JBS 62(4). 2012
153
GENERAL
Colombia Revisited
in these species elsewhere. Growing in more shaded positions were Tillandsia biflora and
T. complanata. Thankfully I knew what I was looking at with these two species. Not far
away we saw a nice flowering clump of Tillandsia compacta, with its pendent orangey-pink
inflorescences hanging down 30-40cm.
Back in the car, we headed to Yarumal for the night. As we sped along, a bright orange
flower spike brought us to a quick stop; Guzmania multiflora growing on a tree at the side
of the road was at its peak, just beginning to flower. The long spike was over 1 m and a
glowing fluorescent-orange with the small white flowers just starting to emerge from the
bracts. As we arrived in Yarumal a very strange sight greeted us. A red biplane, minus its
wings, was being or trying to be lifted up into a first floor window. It certainly stopped
traffic as everyone stood and watched, open-mouthed. After a few photographs and a few
different attempts were made, the plane hung by its wheels from the railing on the first
floor. When we arrived back in town the next afternoon, they had obviously succeeded as
they had bricked in the hole in the wall with just the tail sticking out. We decided it must
be the Red Barron Disco with the protruding tail a sign for party goers. Yarumal is built on
the side of a mountain and I’m betting some of its streets are steeper than San Francisco’s.
The next morning we ventured down onto the northern slopes of the central cordillera.
Coming up the slope were truck-after-truck loaded with goods that would have arrived in
Colombia in the northern ports of Barranquilla or Cartagena. First stop was for a couple
of red pendent Heliconias. The second and third were probably new species, unfortunately
the second was growing on an unclimbable slope so we will never be totally sure although
we were able to take images. Growing happily in the shade of the forest was Guzmania
hollinensis with its plicate foliage and branched green inflorescences. Not too far down the
road we were treated to see another two species in full flower and luckily they were in
old trees next to the road. Vriesea elata was in full bloom and the individuals here were
red with yellow tips to the bracts, something I hadn’t seen before; all the ones I’d seen
previously were solid red. Growing in other trees was a huge Guzmania that we had seen
up on the hill in Santander in bud, but thankfully on the Yarumal – Valdivia road they
were flowering. I only needed to climb another tree to get close enough for a decent image
- we were looking at Guzmania betancurii. This plant was big, with leaves well over 1m long
and the pink and yellow, branched inflorescence was getting towards 1.5m tall. This
was yet another plant of which I had seen the description, line drawing and herbarium
specimen but had never seen an image before. So, with the words of Uncle Derek ringing
in my ears, I tried to take images that were in focus, a difficult thing to do when you are
breathing heavily with excitement, exertion, altitude, adrenalin, etc.
We had hoped to travel across the range to Amalfi, a known bird watching area with
intact forest, but unfortunately we were stopped west of Yarumal by the Police and told
we were headed for an area where safety couldn’t be guaranteed, so we turned around
and missed lunch in Campamento. I lost track of the number of times we were stopped
and searched either by the Police or the Military. After a while it just became part of the
trip and wasn’t anything to worry about. Emilio told us the stops were to look for weapons,
drugs or even foodstuffs for resupplying guerrillas who live in forested inaccessible areas.
We all figured it was an easy thing to put up with in return for a safe trip.
The next area on my wish list was the slope from the top of the western cordillera down
to the Pacific, in the Chocó Province. In last year’s trip we just got into the southern Chocó
and travelled down the slope to the lowlands, experiencing the amazing diversity that is
154
JBS 62(4). 2012
GENERAL
Colombia Revisited
Figure 5. Bromeliads galore including Tillandsia fendleri at the top of the Cimitarra - Velez Rd. Photo
by Emilio Constantino
JBS 62(4). 2012
155
GENERAL
Colombia Revisited
caused by changes of elevation and some of the heaviest rainfall in the world. El Llano
has the distinction of being one of the wettest places on earth with an average rainfall of
13.3m per year. To get there we needed to start in El Carmen del Atrato and drive down
a steep dirt road, a 7 hour drive to get to the Provincial capital of Quibdo. We arrived at
El Carmen in the afternoon of Colombia’s National Day and found accommodation at a
very spartan hotel, but luckily for us in a street lined with restaurants and a bar with the
obligatory loud music. Military patrolled the street regularly and we discovered we were
actually staying outside of El Carmen where all the buses stop on their way out of the
Chocó. The amazed looks we got, as people got out of the buses for a break after 7 hours
and saw us three westerners sitting around drinking beers at the bar in the middle of
nowhere, were priceless.
The next morning we headed down the slope and stopped for plenty of exciting
Heliconias. Growing along the way was Racinaea schumanniana with very upright
inflorescences and another Guzmania that may have some affinity to G. triangularis; no one
so far has ventured an opinion on the FloraPix site. Once again Emilio decided we had
gone as far as he was comfortable with on this road. In the previous weeks a vehicle had
been stopped and robbed, as well as spray painted with messages, before it was allowed
to get away, back up the hill. A safe return home is most important but I was still unhappy
to be so close but so far away from an area I know contains some amazing plants; there’s
always next time, I consoled myself.
After being disappointed by the Mid Chocó, we decided to do the southern area again
as Dave and Steve hadn’t been with Emilio and I last year. Back into the car and off we
went, south along the Rio Cauca river valley to the town of Ansermonueva. This is yet
another beautiful Colombian town where tourists don’t seem to venture, so we were a
bit of a novelty again. We discovered Ansermonueva had a sense of humour when, at 5
in the morning, someone lets off fireworks that sounded like cannons, evidently to draw
the faithful to morning prayers. As the fireworks went off there were three frightened
Australians woken from their peaceful slumbers lying in their beds thinking, ‘Who
is attacking?’ When we joined each other at 6:30 for breakfast it was the first topic for
discussion: ‘What the hell was that all about?’
We drove out of the Cauca river valley and up towards the ridge of the Cordillera
Occidental or western range. Along the way we spotted large Tillandsia fendleri with orange
bracts and spikes, some getting well over 1.5m tall; they were enormous. Also growing
in the trees was another Racinaea with tall straight spikes and a Vriesea or Tillandsia
of indeterminate identity due to their upright spikes being well and truly past their
flowering best. As we continued to gain altitude the area got substantially wetter due to
the moisture that blows over the ridge from the wet Chocó region. We took the San Jose
del Palmar road again and were treated to the amazing plants that grow at the top of the
ridge.
It is not just broms that show amazing diversity along this road: Ericaceae, Araceae
and Orchidaceae also show themselves in many varying forms in this unique habitat.
Guzmania diffusa in flower were spotted growing on a steep rocky bank. It took a couple
of attempts to get close enough to take some photos but getting to the plants themselves
was impossible. The flower spikes were well over 1m tall with bright red stems and
yellow branches. Growing just along the road were large colonies of Guzmania oligantha
and luckily for us were in flower this year. This plant appears like a small sedge with its
156
JBS 62(4). 2012
GENERAL
Colombia Revisited
Figure 6. Racinaea schumanniana
JBS 62(4). 2012
157
GENERAL
Colombia Revisited
thin wispy leaves and caulescent habit, but the canary yellow flowers on red stems give
it away. We saw a related plant that was 2-3 times bigger and much more caulescent, but
we had just missed its massed flowering. It may have some affinity to Guzmania caricifolia
but has some distinguishing features of its own. Also growing alongside were G. sieffiana
and G. schezeriana, both in full flower. Up in the trees were Guzmania kressii, which we
saw last year well past their best, but this year they had seed exploding out of their old
infructescences. Part of my motivation to return to this road was that last year I had taken
a couple of photos of something I thought was different to the Pitcairnia multiflora we had
seen further south; unfortunately my images weren’t particularly clear and they didn’t
show the plant’s foliage. The plant in question is Pitcairnia bicolor, a plant collected in 1977
by the same group who collected Guzmania rugosa that we had seen and photographed last
year, the first time that plant had been photographed. So this time I was very careful to
get good clear images of all parts of the plant to try to document a plant that hadn’t seen a
bromeliad enthusiast for a few decades. Growing along the same roadside was the biggest
Pitcairnia I have ever seen. Its leaves are between 2-3 m tall with red edges and a very
upright growth habit. I found old inflorescences this year with seed, so hopefully it could
be flowered in cultivation to see what species it is. Two other undescribed species we saw
last last year were also found as well. The most ornamental was sent back with Emilio to
try to get it growing in cultivation.
Truth be known, the real reason I was on this road was to search for a particular
Heliconia that was described there in 1980 but unfortunately the forest it grew in is no
longer there along the road from San Jose del Palmar, being cleared decades ago by the
look of it. As we made our way back up the hill to the ridge at the end of an amazing day
we discovered yet another two Guzmania species in flower. The first had thin pink bracts
and I thought I might have found Guzmania nidularioides that we had found in a mature
but not quite flowering state last year. This pink-tipped plant turned out to be something
potentially new and to me looks to be related to G. circinnata, while Harry Luther has
suggested it is closer to G. wittmackii and if you look carefully you can see the similar habit
of the emerging flowers. The second plant was still in bud but looked different from the
common Guzmania rosea. I’ll post it on the FloraPix website and see what suggestions I get
as to its identity.
We returned to Ansermonuevo tired but elated with what we had found in just one day.
We wandered around town discovering that all the different restaurants we had seen
during the day had closed so we ended up at the lovely family run one we had eaten at the
night before, opposite our hotel. The pork schnitzel was superb, washed down with a few
cold Pokers, Colombian cerveza. Tired after a big day and a great dinner we retired for
the night, to be woken again by the cannons at 5 in the morning. Dave counted and with
misfires there were 22 explosions to wake the faithful... And not so faithful. Our rooms
were pretty small and pokey and Ansermonuevo was dubbed the ‘side-saddle toilet town’,
as you couldn’t sit on the toilet without your knees ending up in your face due to the lack
of space.
Our next drive was to take us over the central range again, this time near Manizales
and over to Honda, down next to the Rio Magdalena again. As we headed up and gained
elevation Tillandsias became common again in the trees along the roadside. Tillandsia
clavigera, with its tall grey and black inflorescences, was easily spotted growing alongside
the pendent Tillandsia ionochroma, T. carrierei and Racinaea tetrantha. Also growing in the
158
JBS 62(4). 2012
GENERAL
Colombia Revisited
Figure 7. Tillandsia buseri – a higher elevation species
JBS 62(4). 2012
159
GENERAL
Colombia Revisited
Figure 8. Tillandsia compacta growing at high altitude
160
JBS 62(4). 2012
GENERAL
Colombia Revisited
Figure 9. Undescribed Guzmania species along the San Jose del Palmar Rd.
Figure 10. A ield of Guzmania lychnis at the peak of the Manzinales- Honda Rd.
JBS 62(4). 2012
161
GENERAL
Colombia Revisited
trees was Guzmania gloriosa with its green and red tipped inflorescences visible from the
road. Vriesea (Tillandsia) tequendamae was also quite common along this road. We quickly
gained more altitude and at the ridge line more species were visible; Guzmania lychnis
with its red maroon spikes was very common, flowering away in large colonies. It has a
caulescent growth habit and its foliage is a metallic grey colour. Also growing high on the
exposed rock faces at the ridge were Racinaea gilmartinae or forms of R. tetrantha as well as
Guzmania diffusa. As we headed down the other side and towards the Rio Magdalena valley
we spotted Guzmania multiflora with its bright orange spikes flowering alongside the road.
Once we were down alongside the Magdalena River we had to climb the Cordillera
Oriental again as the eastern slope was our next target. We decided to take the CimatarraLanduzuri-Velez road again as it was such a great road for Heliconia but not quite as good
for bromeliads. I’m sure if you were looking you would find great plants but the Heliconia
tunnel vision had me. A quick drive through the higher regions of Boyaca got us to a lake
near Sogamoso. We stayed in a little villa right on the lake front, with an open fire to ward
off the cool air of being close to 3000m elevation.
The next day we began the drive down the slope towards the Llanos region where all the
rivers drain towards the Orinoco/ Amazon. We started by driving through a Paramo, which
are high altitude grasslands where Puyas are the dominant bromeliads. We saw 3 species
as we made our way to the start of the descent down towards the enormous grass plains
that make up the Llanos. From the top of the hill, once we got below the tree line, we
started to see Tillandsia buseri, another large showy species, this time with bright red spikes
to 1m tall. Also spotted growing in the trees were large red and yellow Guzmania squarrosa
as well as another Tillandsia species with very tall, pink, multibranched inflorescences
that could have been T. maculata or T. tovarensis. Next time I might try to climb the tree to
get better close ups.
As we came around one corner the sight of a truck accident greeted us. One of the large
trucks had rolled with the truck cab precariously clinging to the roadside and its trailer
hanging over the side. There was another truck stopped and two truck drivers wandering
around holding their hands to their heads, no doubt amazed at their luck in surviving.
As we could offer no real help and there were no injuries we set off on our way. Further
down we were stopped again with roadworks and sat by the side of the road for an hour as
concrete was poured to stabilise the road from falling down the mountainside. After our
long wait it was time to get going again and right in front of us we watched in horror as a
bus tried to overtake a truck that wasn’t going to let the bus pass it; no doubt both were
1 hour behind their schedules. With neither driver giving an inch they proceeded to run
into each other and a window was smashed in the bus. Out everyone got and it looked
like it was going to come to blows. With 1 hour’s worth of traffic going nowhere we then
had to wait for the police to arrive and do an insurance report. Steve and I set off walking
downhill to try and find some plants rather than enduring another long wait at the side of
the road. We ended up walking to a small town and were able to buy some icy cold beers
that we happily drank in the shade.
Down on the flat lands below the range the trees were loaded in Werauhia gladioliflora
and occasionally we spotted the orange spikes of Vriesea rubra. I had hoped to try to get
to the type locality of Vriesea ospinae var. gruberi, which would have meant taking another
road back up the eastern range, but Emilio told me the area was still a little hot and we
162
JBS 62(4). 2012
GENERAL
Colombia Revisited
Figure 11. A beautiful pink-bracted form of Tillandsia fendleri
JBS 62(4). 2012
163
GENERAL
Colombia Revisited
had to continue along the flat road to Villavenceio. It is always the changes of elevation
where diversity occurs and unfortunately the flat lands were very much the same in
plants. From Villavenceio it was back up the range to Bogota and the bulk of this route was
through tunnels, which didn’t make for great plant spotting.
We had travelled more than 3000 km in our 12 days, which is absolutely ludicrous
unless you are possessed by plants. I’m sure Emilio was glad to see the back of us after so
much driving. I’m sure Dave and Steve have had their fill of plant hunting with me to last
a lifetime, while I’m already thinking about my next trip.
Figure 12. Pitcairnia susannae
164
JBS 62(4). 2012
GENERAL
Colombia Revisited
Figure 13. Tillandsia schultzei
JBS 62(4). 2012
165
GENERAL
Colombia Revisited
Figure 14. Vriesea rubra
166
JBS 62(4). 2012
GENERAL
The Use Of Epiphytic Bromeliads In Easter Festivities In Zaachila,
Oaxaca, Mexico
Elia Ma. del Carmen Méndez García & Demetria Mondragón*
Figure 1. Ornamented hats (Tillandsia fasiculata T. deppeana, and T. usneoides)
The use of plants in religious activities reflects an important link between man and
nature. Man is part of nature, which has supplied him with the means for life. In several
cultures, man has created deities to explain natural phenomena and has used various
elements of nature as offerings to such gods. Among other things, the presence of plants
in religious events represents the landscape. The processes of transculturation and
acculturation have produced a cosmopolitan cultural mix, and this culture has included
vascular plants in popular and traditional practices related to religion (Rublúo 1972). In
Mexico, religious syncretism among Catholicism and various pre-Hispanic religions has
given rise to religious practices with rich local variations.
In Mexico, epiphytic bromeliads (plants that live on trees but do not directly feed off
them [Benzing 1990]) are associated with religious holidays. For example, as many as 21
*Email: dmondragon@ipn.mx
Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigación para el Desarrollo Integral Regional (CIIDIR) unidad Oaxaca,
Calle Hornos No. 1003. Sta. Cruz Xoxocotlán, Oax., México. C.P 71230
JBS 62(4). 2012
167
GENERAL
The Use Of Epiphyic Bromeliads In Easter Fesiviies in Zaachila,
Oaxaca, Mexico
species are used to ornament the “Nacimientos” (Nativity Scene) in Oaxaca for Christmas
parties (Rees 1976, Mondragón & Villa 2008). Bromeliads decorate flowered arches that
celebrate the day of La Virgen de Guadalupe in the state of Veracruz, where Haeckel (2008)
reported the use of eight species. In San Francisco Yucucundo, Oaxaca, bromeliads, as
well as flowers, are used to decorate the church altar every Sunday (Méndez-García et al.
2011).
In Mexico Easter is widely celebrated and commemorates the passion, death and
resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. It begins on Palm Sunday and ends on Easter Saturday.
A previous period of preparation, known as Lent, begins on Ash Wednesday. From the
first Friday after Lent five weeks pass until Palm Sunday, which marks the entry of Jesus
into Jerusalem, and the beginning of the religious ceremonies of Holy Week.
During these celebrations, in the town of Zaachila, Oaxaca state, Mexico, a large
number of plants (Solano et al. 2010) is used to decorate church altars. To document the
bromeliad species used during these festivities, where and how they are collected, and
the social environment in which they are collected, we performed an ethnobotanical
study at the site in April 2012. We used qualitative-ethnographic tools such as interviews,
surveys and direct observations.
A total of 18 species of epiphytic bromeliads was used to decorate altars (Table 1).
According to interviews, bromeliads were collected from pine-oak and holm oak trees in
Figure 2. “Manteado” the main church (T. deppeana and utriculata)
168
JBS 62(4). 2012
GENERAL
The Use Of Epiphyic Bromeliads In Easter Fesiviies in Zaachila,
Oaxaca, Mexico
Figure 3. Rugs in the chapels (T. punctulata, oaxacana and gymnobatrya)
the state of Puebla: Chilchotla and Cuetzalan towns, and the state of Oaxaca: Huahutlade
Jimenez, San Juan and San Francisco, Sola de Vega, el Vado Juchatengo, Teotitlan de
Flores Magon, San Bernardino Acaputitla, Puerto Soledad, Talea de Castro, Mendez
Calpulalpam, Nativity, Yacui, Iron Bridge, San Pedro el Alto and Albarradas towns.
One year before Holy Week, the community chooses a committee for the collection
of these species. The committee consists of a president, secretary, treasurer and other
members who meet to organize the trip, agree on the dates and locations where they will
collect, and in some cases, request financing for these activities.
Regularly on the fourth Friday of Lent, the groups of collectors from each of the seven
districts and the main church of Zaachila begin the quest. They go to the fields for two
to three days at a time to collect flowers, foliage and other items to decorate the altars:
“disciplina (Huperzia sp.), monjitas (Prosthechea karwinskii), junco (Disocactus ackermannii,)
and maguellitos (Bromeliads)”. During these days they hunt squirrels, skunks and other
game. The skins from these animals are filled with pasle (Tillandsia usneoides L.) and are
used to decorate altars. On the return journey, the pasle is also used to line the baskets
used to carry the collected plants. This added lining protects the plants on the return
journey.
The collectors keep the plants in their homes until Easter Monday when they will use
JBS 62(4). 2012
169
GENERAL
The Use Of Epiphyic Bromeliads In Easter Fesiviies in Zaachila,
Oaxaca, Mexico
Figure 4. Tillandsia bourgaei and T. utriculata
them for the religious festivities. This group of collectors, called “concheros” after the
shells used on Easter Monday night to summon them, assembles in an area known as
La Regadera. There they eat a traditional dinner consisting of tortillas, eggs and cooked
turkey. The turkey is carried entirely within a few baskets and is dressed with a cigar in
its beak.
On the morning of Holy Tuesday, the welcome of the “concheros” continues. The town
is summoned again by the sound of the shells. On the outskirts of town, the collectors
and district populations gather and exchange flowers and fruits to trim the bases of the
hats worn by participants with pasle (Figure 1. Ornamented hats). With the ornamented
hats and collected plants, animals and branches, the group (accompanied by band music)
tours the principal streets of Zaachila. As they visit houses, participants receive the “first
and second gourd of tejate” (tejate is a refreshing traditional drink made with cocoa and
corn). This procession ends at the main church where the collected plants are delivered
to chapels and church managers who arrange for the assembly of the altar on Thursday
morning. Of the eight groups of collectors organized for this activity, four made the
procession on Holy Tuesday, and the other four on Holy Wednesday. Thus, by Thursday all
170
JBS 62(4). 2012
GENERAL
The Use Of Epiphyic Bromeliads In Easter Fesiviies in Zaachila,
Oaxaca, Mexico
plants were in the chapels and in the main church of Zaachila for decoration.
During Catholic festivities on Holy Thursday people visit the altars of the different
neighborhoods in the town, known as “the visit of the Seven Houses”. A “manteado” is
constructed at the entrances of the main church and the chapels in the neighborhoods.
A “manteado” provides shade to the image of the Holy Name of Jesus on the Cross
procession on Holy Friday. The “manteado” is decorated with plants from the field,
including bromeliads, which are tied and hung from the structure. (Figure 2. “Manteado”
the main church). Similarly, bromeliads are used within the church to garnish the main
altar and are hung from the ceiling in cords. Also present are rugs made from various
plants, including orchids, agave inflorescences, fruits (especially watermelons that bear
the surnames of families who have served previously), sprouted corn and furs from
animals such as squirrels and wolves. (Figure 3 and 4. Rugs in the chapels). Bromeliads
also decorate wooden poles, fashioned from branches brought back by the “concheros” on
their return trip. The poles evoke the carrying of the cross by Jesus and are called “la cruz
de ocote.” They are positioned conspicuously in the atria of chapels.
On Holy Thursday night, according to Catholic tradition, Jesus was imprisoned. On
display in the Children’s District chapel is an image of a Nazarene (Jesus of Nazareth)
behind bars, which has been garnished with bromeliads (Tillandsia deppeana, T. macdougallii,
T. bourgaei and T. gymnobotrya). (Figure 11. Picture of the Nazarene in the chapel of Barrio
del Niño, Children´s District).
The altar remains ornamented until Easter Sunday, when people gather in their
respective chapels, share watermelons and return home after the festivities. Most
bromeliads are discarded after these celebrations and most individuals have little
chance of survival, mainly because of the stress experienced during their collection and
transport. Further, when plants were placed on an altar or a branch, its leaves were
removed, leaving essentially the inflorescence and a few blades. During this display,
these plants are never watered.
Literature cited
Benzing, D.H. 1990. Vascular epiphytes. New York: Cambridge Univ. Press. 354 p.
Haeckel, I. B. 2008. The “Arco Floral”: Ethnobotany of Tillandsia and Dasylirion spp. in a
Mexican Religious Adornment. Economic Botany, 62(1): 90–95.
Mondragón, D. & D. Villa. 2008. Estudio etnobotánico de las bromelias epífitas en la
comunidad de Sta. Catarina Ixtepeji. Polibotánica 26: 175–191.
Méndez-García, E., D. Mondragón, G. Cruz-Ruiz & A. Vásquez L. 2011. Usos de las bromelias
en el Estado de Oaxaca. SINAREFI: México. ISBN: 978-607-00-5120-3.
Rees, J. 1976. The Oaxaca Christmas plant market. Journal of the Bromeliad Society Bulletin
6: 223-232.
Rublúo, L. 1972. “La Navidad Mexicana en el Siglo XVI”. Artes de México. 157. México.
Solano Gómez, R., G. Cruz, A. Martínez & L. Lagunez. 2010. Plantas utilizadas en la
celebración de la Semana Santa en Zaachila, Oaxaca, México. Polibotánica, 29, 263–279.
JBS 62(4). 2012
171
GENERAL
The Use Of Epiphyic Bromeliads In Easter Fesiviies in Zaachila,
Oaxaca, Mexico
Table 1. Bromeliad species used in Holy Week in Zaachila, Oaxaca, Mexico.
Tillandsia spp.
Tillandsia bourgaei Baker
Tillandsia carlos-hankii Matuda
Tillandsia calothyrsus Mez
Tillandsa deppeana Steud.
Tillandsia gymnobotrya Baker
Tillandsia fasciculata Sw.
Tillandsia imperialis e. Morren ex Mez
Tillandsia macdougallii L.B. Sm.
Tillandsia makoyana Baker
Tillandsia multicaulis Steud.
Tillandsia oaxacana L.B. Sm.
Tillandsia prodigiosa (Lem.) Baker
Tillandsia punctulata Schltdl. &Cham.
Tillandsia usneoides (L.) L.
Tillandsia utriculata L.
Tillandsia violacea Baker
Viridantha plumosa (Baker) Espejo
This journal now has an editorial commitee. This means that aricles can be
submited directly to the commitee who can help you with photo size and format requirements, as well as providing feedback as to whether your submission
is ready for publicaion or requires further ediing or research.
Aricles can be submited to:
Peter Tristram - ptristra@bigpond.net.au
Alan Herndon - Alanherndon@aol.com
172
JBS 62(4). 2012
CULTIVATION
x Biltanthus
Derek Butcher
Figure 1. x Biltanthus ‘Beucker’ photo by Don Beard
JBS 62(4). 2012
173
CULTIVATION
x Biltanthus
Figure 2. x Biltanthus ‘Beucker’ photo by Don Beard
Some may say they have never heard of this nothogenus and yet it has been around
since 1947 but nobody alerted the Bromeliad Cultivar Registrar. Recently Alan Herndon
of Florida and myself have been discussing the advantage of having many of the old
catalogues in digital form and perhaps be part of the BSI archives. These days it is easy
to do via a scanner and pdf. Ever since the Bromeliad Cultivar Register was published in
1998 I have pondered over the references quoted because I never believed I would ever be
able to actually see these when they were old catalogues. When they referred to botanical
publications I was able to research and translate many only to find in some cases wrong
information had been interpreted and in others it only referred to a plant being in a
certain exhibition and thus worthless!
174
JBS 62(4). 2012
CULTIVATION
x Biltanthus
Figure 3. x Cryptbergia ‘Mead’. Photo JBS 27(5): 217 - 1977
My contribution to the cause was mainly catalogues from Australia whereas Alan was
able to supply some of Roehrs Catalogues from New Jersey, USA. We have grown Neoregelia
‘Roehr’s Best’ for many years in Australia so I was curious to find out something about its
origins. We did not find this plant but did find out that its spelling should be ‘Roehrs’s
Best’.
Anyway, my wife, Margaret, was looking over my shoulder and said “What is a
Biltanthus?”
First I contacted Jason Grant who was one of the authors of ‘An Annotated catalogue of
generic names of the Bromeliaceae’ in Selbyana 19(1): 1998 and he said ‘Argh’. I contacted
the IPNI (International Plant Names Index) and they said ‘Valid’!
This was what all the fuss was about, because under ICBN (International Code of
Botanical Nomenclature) Rules, the first validly-published new bigeneric genus name
must be accepted.
“Biltanthus beuckeri (Billbergia and Cryptanthus hybrid) green mottled bronze,
narrow pointed foliage. $1.00 to 1.50”
This means that the following disappears:
xCryptbergia Anon., Bull. Bromeliad Soc. 2: 72. 1952.
Parent genera: Cryptanthus Otto & A. Dietr., Allg. Gartenzeitung 4: 298. 17 Sep 1836
and Billbergia Thunb., Pl. bras. 3: 30. 5 Jun 1821.
To be replaced by
xBiltanthus Exotics, Catalogue of Julius Roehrs Company, March 1, 1947
Parent genera: Billbergia Thunb., Pl. bras. 3: 30. 5 Jun 1821.and Cryptanthus Otto & A.
Dietr., Allg. Gartenzeitung 4: 298. 17 Sep 1836.
Now for the name changes that will affect you when writing labels or writing articles.
The first one is undoubtedly xCryptbergia ‘Mead’ which will become xBiltanthus ‘Beucker’
because ‘beuckeri’ was the first name used! Are we talking about the same plant? I think
so, because by the name it would suggest one of the parents was Cryptanthus beuckeri and
JBS 62(4). 2012
175
CULTIVATION
x Biltanthus
Figure 4. x Biltanthus ‘Beucker’ B30 Julius Roehrs Co 1947
the favourite Billbergia of Theodore Mead was Billbergia nutans. There is a very long article
in Phytologia 30(5): 292-295. 1975 by L B Smith and R W Read where they discussed the
nothogenus xCryptbergia. To me it is a very surprising article to be in Phytologia because
it was correcting misnomers in the Bromeliad Society Bulletin and was directed at
bromeliad growers, not botanists. If you are interested in what was said this is on the
Bromeliad Cultivar Register (http://registry.bsi.org/) under x Cryptbergia Notes.
What is interesting is that in the book ‘Bromeliads in Cultivation’ by R G and C Wilson
(1963) we see “Billtanthus” (sic) mentioned, but nothing more. Perhaps they were aware
that an opposition nursery, Roehrs Company, were using this name but did not disclose it.
In any event L B Smith and R W Read did not follow up on this reference. As for identity,
I leave you to decide whether the photo of xCryptbergia ‘Mead’ in J Brom Soc.27(5): 217.
1977 is correct. To give an idea of shape and size I show a copy taken from the Exotics
catalogue 1947 – see B30. Thanks to Donald Beard, of New South Wales, Australia we are
able to show, for the first time, what this bigeneric looks like.
Other changes are:
xCryptbergia ‘Curly Locks’ now xBiltanthus ‘Curly Locks’
xCryptbergia ‘Fantasy’ now xBiltanthus ‘Fantasy’
xCryptbergia ‘Goodale’ now xBiltanthus ‘Goodale’
xCryptbergia ‘Hazel Quilhot’ now xBiltanthus ‘Hazel Quihot’
xCryptbergia ‘Hombre’ now xBiltanthus ‘Hombre’
xCryptbergia ‘Pinkie’ now xBiltanthus ‘Pinkie’
xCryptbergia ‘Pinkinskie’ now xBiltanthus ‘Pinkinskie’
xCryptbergia ‘Red Burst’ now xBiltanthus ‘Red Burst’
xCryptbergia ‘Resplendent’ now xBiltanthus ‘Resplendent’
xCryptbergia ‘Tiger Eye’ now xBiltanthus ‘Tiger Eye’
xCryptbergia ‘Topaz’ now xBiltanthus ‘Topaz’
176
JBS 62(4). 2012
CULTIVATION
Billbergia ‘Theodore L Mead’ Revisited
Derek Butcher
Figure 1. Billbergia ‘Theodore L Mead’ from Foster 1940
You may recall that I wrote extensively about the problems associated with linking
Billbergia ‘Windii ‘ and Billbergia ‘Theodore L Mead’ in J. Brom. Soc. 48(6): 247-9. 1998.
14 years later we have more data and this means we have more things to discuss. This is
what happened.
Paul Butler of Winter Park, Florida is writing a short biography of Theodore L. Mead (18521936). He pointed out that in this article I stated that “Billbergia nutans was one of Mead’s
favourite plants for hybridising, but he did not keep records, and only bequeathed problems”.
This statement is far from the truth. In the archives of the libraries of the University of
Central Florida (UCF) and Rollins College, Winter Park, where his research has taken him,
are hundreds of letters Mead wrote and received and records he kept of his horticultural
work. In fact, Mead was obsessive about record keeping, retained everything, and kept
a meticulous and detailed notebook of all his crosses. Paul even came across lists from
the 1920’s recording every single Xmas card and present that Mead and his wife Edith
JBS 62(4). 2012
177
CULTIVATION
Billbergia ‘ Theodore L Mead’ Revisited
received! However, much of
the material is in disrepair.
The horticultural notebook
at UCF appears especially
valuable, detailing thousands
of orchid crosses as well as his
other work. It appears that
nobody with horticultural
knowledge had bothered to go
through this notebook.
Paul has captured all the
notes by Mead on Bromeliads
from 1922 to near to his death
in 1936. The 1920’s are the
more interesting because these
were basically primary hybrids
and possibly identifiable from
the quoted parentage. Later
references were of hybrids
crossed with hybrids. The only
ones worth investigating are
where the plants had actually Figure 2. Billbergia ‘Theodore L Mead’ from Foster back
been sent to others and
therefore spread around. There is a greater chance that these would be still growing in
gardens by the time The Bromeliad Society was formed in 1950.
What revelations! We now know Mead was growing Billbergia nutans x B. zebrina which we
assume was his own hybrid and that he had sent at least one specimen to the Brooklyn
Botanic Garden in 1925. We know that in 1923 he also sent plants to Dr. Henry Nehrling,
Plant Pioneer of Florida (1853-1929), in Naples Florida so we know there are two possible
sources in Florida for this hybrid to be distributed. In 1926 he sent 3 plants of B. nutans x
B. Leopoldi ( now B. brasiliensis)to Nehrling. BUT THAT IS NOT ALL. In a letter from Mulford
Foster to Bill Morris in Australia, “28 Oct. 1958 - The parentage of Billbergia xmeadii, I
believe is B. nutans x B. porteana. However, I have seen more than one hybrid that was sold
under this name.( Butcher’s comment – This is feasible because of Mead’s habit of calling
his hybrids by a short-hand code like nu-ze, nu-spec, nu-sau etc) The plant has never
been authentically named or described.” This thought is confirmed by a B&W picture
Paul found in Michael Spencer’s collection of Foster’s papers at the University of Central
Florida. This shows xMeadii with the notation of nutans x porteana on the back according to
Racine Foster, dated 1940. Foster does not give any reasoning why he thought B. porteana
because one would guess that B. Leopoldi would also give bluish tones to the stigma/style,
if this was his distinction.
From what Victoria Padilla writes about, plants called xmeadii and later ‘Theodore
L Mead’ were in circulation in California in the 1950’s. This suggests to me that they
originated from Orpet. We now have four pollen parents from the subgenus Helicodea to
contend with. Just what would be the differences between these crosses and that of the
parents of Billbergia ‘Windii’ ( B. nutans x B.decora)?
178
JBS 62(4). 2012
CULTIVATION
Billbergia ‘ Theodore L Mead’ Revisited
I will repeat here the description of Billbergia windii. You may recall that I had translated
the description of Billbergia ‘Windii’ made in 1889 and this is as follows (All comments in
brackets are based on my plant of Billbergia `Theodore L. Mead’ for comparison purposes):
“Leaves strap shaped, very long to 85 cm [50 cm], narrow, 30-33mm wide in middle
[4-4.5 cm], the sheath a little wider, gradually tapering to a long tip, edges very weak and
very [minutely] spined [ 1 mm long], spines 1 cm apart [5 mm], stronger toward the tip,
pointed toward the front. Leaf blade top side almost smooth, dark green, shiny, [lepidote
with barring]; underneath very weakly scaled [lepidote in lines], scarcely indistinct, grey
cross-banded [none evident], Inflorescence forming a hanging spike. Scape 70-75 cm
long [30 cm]. Scape bracts numerous, inside light rose, outside carmine, longish, lancelike [lower ones green tipped, all heavily lepidote]. Flowers large, 75 mm long [65 mm]
to the tip of the stigma. Sepals longish, lance-like, acuminate, to 20 mm long, 5.5 - 6 mm
wide [7 mm], and 7 mm wide at base [5mm], green, edges rose, the tip sky-blue, white
farinose. Petals 2 X times longer than the sepals; long-lineal, gradually narrowing to a
point, 55 mm long, at anthesis wholly rolled back [not tightly], later straight, blade green,
edges blue, 6 mm wide [7 mm], tip 2.5 mm wide. Stamens shorter than the petals, 55 mm
long [40 mm], ribbon-like, stiff, parallel, yellow-green. Filaments 45 mm long [30 mm],
linear, a little wide at base. Anthers 12 mm long, joined at the lower half in the middle of
the back [2 mm from the bottom]. Style longer than the stamens, 62 mm long [46 mm],
dark green with spreading, later spiraling, lobes 6.5 mm long [ 12 mm with a hint of blue].
Ovary thick, long or long-cylindric [oval], incised under the tip, shorter than the sepals, 7
mm diameter in the middle, 5 mm above, ribbed, green.
We did not know at that time the significance of the bluish stamens and style of my
plant that are so prominent when the petals curl. Where does this colour come from?
Colour is not that important to the taxonomist but is important to the cultonomist and
gardener. Just what colour do you get in the stamens and stigma in B. nutans. Regrettably
you have to check paintings and photographs and live plants. Check it out but these are
yellow and green. Let us now look at B. decora. In Smith & Downs Monograph 1979 we
read, “Stamens green or greenish yellow;” but when we look at the synonyms and what
was written by others we find Morren in Belg Hort 221-2. 1875 indicating that style is
violet at top. B. zebrina shows “Stamens elongate, anthers narrower than the filaments;”
from the same source( Smith & Downs Monograph 1979) which meant looking elsewhere
from the long list of synonyms where we find stamens as greenish except for B. canterae
where not only are the stamens blue but also the stigma. This had me checking what
photographs I had of the species B. zebrina and the blue colour of the stamens and stigma
really stood out. This shows that the ‘B. canterae’ form has taken over in popularity ( or
is it vigour?) In Mead’s days B. canterae would not have been known as B. zebrina. We know
that B. porteana is known for its blue stamens/style which suggests the involvement of B.
porteana in ‘Theodore L Mead’. Check also B. brasiliensis.
As far as I am aware, no hybridist has pointed out relationships to colour of stamens
and stigma in their creating hybrids and one of the few groups of Bromeliaceae that show
off these sex-parts is the Helicodea subgenus of Billbergia.
We know that Mead was not growing Billbergia decora so he must have used another
Helicodea species to achieve ‘Theodore L Mead’. The main contender seems to be B.
porteana.
JBS 62(4). 2012
179
CULTIVATION
Billbergia ‘ Theodore L Mead’ Revisited
I did wonder if the violet stigma lobes on plants called B. ‘Windii’ could really be B.
‘Theodore L Mead’ because of the 1889 description of B. Windii’ but Morren’s description
of B. decora puts doubts on this. In other words I still do not know the differences between
the two cultivars, but it was great fun looking at old records.
To show the Australian connection we include a photo of a botanical painting done for
the Adelaide Botanical Gardens of a plant called Billbergia “meadii” sent to them in 1955
by Charles Hodgson of Melbourne, Australia. I thank the Adelaide Botanical Gardens for
me being able to photograph the painting.
Further revelations in the notebook have meant that comments have been placed in the
Bromeliad Cultivar Register of Mead’s re-makes of B. ‘Leodiensis’ and B. ‘Hoelscheriana’.
Many of his recorded hybrids will, alas, never be traced.
Figure 3. Billbergia ‘Theodore L Mead’ paint Adelaide
180
JBS 62(4). 2012
GENERAL
Herbert Plever - Over 50 Years With The BSI
Peter Tristram
Figure 1. Herb and Sylvia Plever in 2008
Editor’s Note: Congratulations to Herbert Plever! This article is honoring him as a 50 year member
of the BSI.
Herb started growing bromeliads about 1960 when he bought a houseplant book for
his wife, Silvia. It wasn’t long before he joined the BSI, in 1961, then the addiction we all
know so well had begun! Many of the first broms to adorn the young couple’s apartment
were purchased from Ed Hummel, the first being a Vriesea splendens, followed soon by
incredible specimens of Aechmea fasciata, A. miniata var. discolor, A. fulgens var. discolor,
Nidularium innocentii var. lineatum, Guzmania lingulata and more. With the addiction came the
challenge of how to successfully grow tropical plants in their apartment. He was advised
to contact George Milstein and the two soon made contact with quite a few other likewise
bromeliad-crazy folk in the New York area. After a while, around 1962, it was decided to
convene a meeting at George’s Queens apartment with the aim of forming a New York
bromeliad group. Mulford Foster attended too and the 28 attendees formed the soon-tobe-affiliated New York Bromeliad Society. Herb became editor of the group’s newsletter,
Bromeliana in 1970, a job he still holds!
With the society formed and regular meetings held, he met personalities like Mulford
Foster and became friends with Lyman Smith whom he saw almost monthly at meetings
for about 5 or 6 years. He was into broms in a big way now!
At one time Herb had about 250 pot plants, mostly Guzmanias, Vrieseas and Aechmeas,
some Billbergias, a few Cryptanthus, Neoregelias, Nidulariums (many were to be renamed
JBS 62(4). 2012
181
GENERAL
Herbert Plever - Over 50 Years With The BSI
Canistropsis), and other genera. He also had hundreds of Tillandsias, including about 2
dozen rare species such as T. huebergeri, T. kautskyi, T. reclinata, T. venusta, and T. oaxacana (I
got one from Curtis MacDougal when I visited him in Oaxaca in 1972). He and Sylvia had
lots of room with their children out of the apartment - 3 bedrooms, and a big living room
to fill with broms, and a 14 foot terrace facing south for the spring through fall.
Inevitably, that led to problems with his marriage. He was running a law practice and
all of his free time, weekends included, was spent taking care of and experimenting with
broms. Sylvia was far more important to him than anything else, so he started cutting
down substantially on the collection, especially Tillandsias. Soaking them alone filled the
bathtub 4 or 5 times, and since the soaking was for an hour you can see that an entire
Saturday or Sunday was spent on the soaking process. While the Tills were soaking he
would water and/or fertilize the pot plants. This interfered with their many non-brom
activities such as folkdancing, Scottish country dancing, attending the opera and the
theatre. The collection was cut down to 100 pot plants and the Tillandsias were reduced by
more than 50% reducing the soakings to only 1 or 2. He would also, more often than not,
go for 10 to 14 days between soakings.
These days his collection numbers about 75 pot plants, but he is intent on keeping his
lovely Tillandsias. His favorite pot plants that he has always kept at least one specimen
of are: A. ‘Morgana’ (He reckons it is absolutely the best fasciata cultivar ever made; it
grows fast but compactly on fertilizer, and it flowers every 18 to 22 months, with 4 inch
wide leaves.), the true Billbergia decora (He got it from Don Beadle years ago when Don still
Figure 2. Herb Plever at 1996 WBC
182
JBS 62(4). 2012
GENERAL
Herbert Plever - Over 50 Years With The BSI
lived in Corpus Christi), Nidularium
innocentii v. lineatum and Orthophytum
navioides.
He has recently gone back to
growing some ‘spinies’: Deutercohnia
mezziana is growing like a weed
(loves fertilizer), Dyckia ‘Silver
Queen’, ‘Cherry Coke’, ‘Brittle
Star’ to name a few but with the
Tillandsias he won’t discriminate he loves every one of his precious
Tills.
Figure 3. Herb and Henry Turn setting up at Christmas
party in 2006
He has been writing articles since
1966, and starting in 1970, had one
in almost every issue of Bromeliana to date. The 50 year index for the BSI Journal lists 27
articles and he regards the most important as ‘The Fertilizer Revolution’ (1996 V46(6)
252-260) as important and still significant. With (still) continuing experiments changing
fertilizer formulas, strength and frequency, the 1996 proposals have been modified, but
he regards the basic precepts stated as still valid.
From the hundreds of other articles, the following stand out to him:
- On Seeing Red - Jan 2001, an educational but also politically provocative piece he
could get away with in New York without complaints, but not anywhere else;
- Success with Ethylene Pills – The End of a Long History using Chemicals to Induce
Bloom - Dec 2004;
- Where have all the Vriesea Splendens Gone? - May 2012;
- Aechmea Mirlo – a Saga
- More on Vriesea Splendens – draft of upcoming Sep 2012 article.
The challenge of growing broms year-round in a New York apartment took its toll with
many hundreds of casualties in the beginning years. Herb and the NY team had to create
all of their own literature, with the emphasis on quality, stimulating and provocative
articles, duly published in Bromeliana and recognized globally. Racine Foster was an avid
fan of Bromeliana, contributing in the form of praise, suggestions and advice following
each issue. Bromeliana can still be subscribed to and a monthly electronic form (pdf) is
available. (Email hplever@verizon.net for details.)
Herb was very much involved in the process which led to the formal ‘internationalization’
of the BSI, at the World Conference in Orlando in 1980. There the current system of
Board representation by Regions was adopted, albeit narrowly, allowing a proportional
distribution of BSI Directors around the world who would represent their Region and the
best interests of the membership. This democratization of the BSI, with all of the benefits
and problems that come with democracy, has, none-the-less, served well to this very day.
Herb has also attended all World Bromeliad Conferences since the first in 1972, a claim
few, if any, can match.
JBS 62(4). 2012
183
GENERAL
Herbert Plever - Over 50 Years With The BSI
Naturally 88 year old Herb is still enthusiastically growing bromeliads in his apartment,
as well as still producing the very informative Bromeliana for the New York Bromeliad
Society! He is a marvellous database of information, including BSI history and still keeps
his pulse on the ‘state of the society’.
Herb’s formidable archive of bromeliad-related documents, especially catalogues
and price lists, is also a testament to his love of these plants. Such a valuable historical
collection must be preserved and would certainly be of interest to most brom-crazy folk.
Herb and Sylvia are not only still active in the bromeliad world but also literally dance
up a storm 3 times a week (Scottish and folk that is) and frequently head to the theatre,
cinema and opera. The two are so busy he almost forgot his 88th birthday in March, 2012!
So, a belated ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY’ Herb and congratulations on the 50 years of
membership milestone!
Figure 4. Herb and Sylvia Plever in June 2012
184
JBS 62(4). 2012
Bromeliad Society International Membership
Mailings to USA addresses
(includes bulk mail rate—irst class add
$5 per year)
Mailings to Non-USA
addresses (includes Airmail delivery)
1 Year
3 Years
Individual
$45
$125
Individual
$50
$140
Dual
$60
$170
Dual
$65
$185
Afiliate Society
$30
$90
Afiliate Society
$35
$105
$50
$140
$55
$155
$65
$185
$70
$200
Institutional
Commercial
1 Year 3 Years
Institutional
Commercial
Life Membership (one time only fee) $900.
Payment by check or money order payable to The Bromeliad Society International. USA members: US Banks and US funds only. International members:
US funds only; US domestic checks, international money order, or foreign
bank cheques. Credit card payments and sign-ups/renewals may be made online at www.bsi.org.
Please send mail transactions to: Annette Dominguez, BSI Membership Secretary, 8117 Shenandoah Dr., Austin, TX, USA 78753-5734. 502 619-2750.
You are invited to join
he Cryptanthus Society
The largest affiliate of the Bromeliad Society
International.
Learn to grow the dazzling Earth Stars and make
new friends all over the world.
Membership: International $25, Dual $30 - USA $20, Dual $25, Ailiates
$30. Includes 4 Journal issues per year $30 . Includes 4 Journal issues per year,
mailed irst class.
Write to Carole Richtmyer, 18814 Cypress Mountain Dr., Spring, TX
77388, or planobrom@aol.com
JBS 62(4). 2012
185
ADVERTISING RATES
JOURNAL OF THE BROMELIAD SOCIETY
One issue
Additional issue
One year
full page (b&w/color)
$125/200
$100/150
$625/950
half-page
$70/100
$55/75
$350/475
quarter page
$45/60
$35/50
$220/310
eighth-page
$25/40
$20/30
$125/190
Send bookings to
he Editor, Bromeliad Society International,
13-3588 Moku St.
Pahoa, HI, 96778, USA
email: editor@bsi.org
Bromeliad Hybrids
In
Book 1: Neoregelias
by Margaret and Bill Paterson
Over 600 colour photographs
of Margaret’s hybrids
Cost including shipping in AUD;
In Australia….$34.99
Other countries…$41.99
ordering:
Website; www.bromeliad-hybrids.com
or email to
wsandmj@bromeliad-hybrids.com
or wm_paterson@bigpond.com
186
JBS 62(4). 2012
Brom-L SeedBank
Over 150 different species!
Brom-L is the WWW Bromeliad Society, started in 1993. It has
the largest bromeliad seedlist and several other activities like the
loraPix Bromeliad Gallery, plant ID pages and an email discussion
list. Membership is free, but you can also participate without
membership.
http://brom-l.lorapix.nl/
email: info@loraPix.nl
JBS 62(4). 2012
187
It’s Here
Now!
Paul T. Isley’s
Tillandsia II
updated, revised and enlarged.
he long-awaited sequel to Paul Isley’s Tillandsia is now available. Same size 8½” x
11” with 300 pages including updated and increased species pages and a new chapter
with 30 pages of hybrids.
Cost is $72 plus $6 shipping in the USA (California residents add $6.30 tax). Worldwide
orders from www.Botanical-Press.com, by check to 19121 Hawthorne Blvd., Torrance
CA 90503
Special Collector’s Edition of 100 signed and numbered premium quality
leather-bound copies available at US$295.
188
JBS 62(4). 2012
GENERAL
The BSI Is On Facebook
Adam Bodzioch
In today’s modern environment many plant societies and garden clubs are struggling
to survive in the light of dwindling memberships.
The BSI Board has embraced the opportunity to not only stay relevant to its current
members but is also seeking to attract new members by setting up a new facebook site
for the organisation. If you are signed up, the BSI site can be accessed by keying in either
‘Bromeliad Society International’ or just ‘BSI’ (case is not important). To express your
support and receive notifications press the ‘like’ button for the site. It is intended to post
news on important events such as the World Bromeliad Conference as well as details on
regional conferences, shows and sales by affiliate bromeliad societies. This will be in
addition to the posting of articles and images of bromeliads.
The banner image of the new facebook site is of Vriesea lutheriana in honour of the late
Harry Luther.
There is also a direct link to the current BSI web-site which will, in the near future, be
replaced with a new vibrant web-site.
JBS 62(4). 2012
189
GENERAL
Events Calendar
A WARM WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS!
GERALD BONNE
ANTOINETTE E BOWE
PETER MILES
JEFF HUTCHINSON
JAY WOODWARD
CREPY EN VALOIS
NASSAU
SYDNEY
ROYAL PALM BEACH, FL
NAPLES, FL
FRANCE
BAHAMAS
AUSTRALIA
USA
USA
Tillandsia edithae. Photo by Peter Tristram
The BSI Seed Fund has found a new chairman! Many thanks to Bryan Windham
of Kenner, Louisiana for taking on this responsibility.
More information to follow soon!
190
JBS 62(4). 2012
he Bromeliad Society International
he purpose of this nonproit corporation is to promote and maintain public and scientiic interest in the research,
development, preservation, and distribution of bromeliads, both natural and hybrid, throughout the world. You are
invited to join.
OffICERS
President �������������������������� Jay hurrott, 713 Breckenridge Dr., Port Orange, fL 32127, USA. president@bsi.org
Vice-President ������������������ Bonnie Boutwell, 1319 America St., Mandeville, LA 70448, USA. vicepresident@bsi.org
Editor ������������������������������ Evan Bartholomew, 13-3362 Makamae St., Pahoa, HI, 96778, USA. editor@bsi.org
Membership Secretary �������
Annette Dominguez, BSI Membership Secretary, 8117 Shenandoah Dr., Austin, TX,
USA 78753-5734. 502 619-2750.
Secretary �������������������������� Sara Donayre, 1240 Jeferson St., Hollywood, fL 33019-1807, USA. secretary@bsi.org.
Treasurer �������������������������� Edward Doherty, 4039 Herschel Ave., Dallas, TX 75219, USA. treasurer@bsi.org.
DIRECTORS
(To e-mail Directors, write “irstname@bsi.org,” Not all Directors have e-mail)
2011-2014..........................Australia: Greg Aizlewood, Adam Bodzioch. California: Nancy Groves. Central: Paul
Wingert. florida: Vicky Chirnside, Gary Lund, Steven C. Provost. International: Luiz
felipe Nevares de Carvalho. New Zealand: Peter Waters.
2009-2012..........................Australia: Peter Tristram. California: Rodney Kline.
2010-2013......................... florida: Alan Herndon. Louisiana: Charlie Birdsong. Texas: Gene Powers. International:
Lyn Wegner. Western: Hannelore Lenz.
STANDING COMMITTEES
Ailiated Shows ���������������������Charles Birdsong, 13922 Eastridge Ave., Baton Rouge, LA 70817, USA. shows@bsi.org
Ailiated Societies ������������������Martha Goode, 826 Buckingham Ct., Crystal Lake, IL 60014, USA. ailiates@bsi.org
Archives and Historical ����������Robert and Janet LaRoe, 401 Oakford Rd., Sarasota, fL 34240, USA.
Conservation �������������������������Position vacant. conservation@bsi.org
Cultivar Registration��������������Geof Lawn, 31 Greenock Ave., Como, Perth WA 6152, Australia. cultivars@bsi.org
Finance & Audit �������������������Elizabeth Patterson, 4205 Gloster Rd., Dallas, TX 75220, USA.
Judges Certiication ����������������Betty Ann Prevatt, 2902 2nd St., ft. Myers, fL 33916, USA.
Mulford B� Foster Bromeliad Identiication Center location under review
bic@bsi.org.
Nominations ������������������������Larry Giroux, 3836 Hidden Acres Circle N, North fort Myers, fL 33903, USA.
larry@bsi.org
Publications Sales �������������������Robert & Karen Kopfstein, 6903 Kellyn Ln., Vista, CA 92084, USA.
publications@bsi.org
Research Grant ����������������������Gregory K. Brown, University of Wyoming, P.O. Box 3165, Laramie, WY 820713165, USA. grants@bsi.org
Seed Bank �����������������������������Harvey C. Beltz, 6327 South Inwood Rd., Shreveport, LA 71119-7260, USA.
Media Library �����������������������Keith Smith, 1330 Millerton Rd., Auburn CA 95603-1243, USA. slides@bsi.org
Web Site��������������������������������Nick Bethmann, 726 forsyth St., Boca Raton, fL 33487-3204, USA. webmaster@bsi.org
World Headquarters������������Tom Wolfe, 5211 Lake Le Claire Rd., Lutz, fL 33549-4833, USA.
HONORARY TRUSTEES
David H. Benzing, USA
Nat DeLeon, USA
Grace M. Goode OAM, Australia
Peter Waters, New Zealand
Members-only
web site access:
Marcel LeCoule, France
Elton M.C. Leme, Brazil
Elmer J. Lorenz, USA
Harry E. Luther, USA
William Morris, Australia
Herb Plever, USA
Derek Butcher, Australia
username: your bsi membership number (this is printed in the irst
line of your journal mailing label) password: bsi
JOURNAL
OF THE BROMELIAD SOCIETY