Aechmea Information Compiled by Theresa M
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Aechmea Information compiled by Theresa M. Bert, Ph.D. (corresponding author) and Harry E. Luther, Director, Mulford B. Foster Bromeliad Identification Center (last update: January 2005) Welcome to the Aechmea species list. All taxonomic entities for the genus Aechmea listed in Luther (2004) & new species & taxonomic revisions since that publication up to September 2004 are included here. The information provided for each taxon is summarized from the references & citations provided at the end of the list. In the table, the citations are denoted by superscripted numbers. This information is not all-inclusive of everything that is known about each species, but much information is included. We did not include information on citings during personal expeditions unless they were documented in the literature & also provided unique information on the biology, ecology, or taxonomy of the species. Nor did we include information on cultivation. This is a dynamic table. As authoritative information becomes available, we will update this table. We also invite input. If you know of a well-documented fact about a species in this list, please provide the corresponding author with the information & the literature citation in which that information appears. (We reserve the right to accept or deny inclusion of any information provided to us.) We also welcome your thoughts on the type of information that should be included in this list. Blank fields denote no information is available. All currently recognized taxonomic entities of each species are listed, including subspecies, varieties, & forms. When the lower taxonomic level of these plants is the same as the species, only the species name is given (e.g., Aechmea distichantha var. distichantha forma distichantha is listed as Aechmea distichantha). The meanings of many species names (column 2) are often related to the forms or colors of flower parts. In the genus Aechmea, most variegated, albomarginated, or alba varieties or forms were collected as sports or clones from an otherwise normally colored population. Many species listed from rainforest in eastern Brazilian states inhabit the highly endangered rainforest the Mata Atlantica. However, in a general sense, we use the term “rainforest” for any broadleaf, evergreen, tropical or subtropical, wet forest. We use the term “forest” to mean all types of forest, from rainforest to dry forest. We also use the term “saxicolous” in a broad sense, encompassing both plants that can live among rocks or in rocky soil and plants that live on the surfaces of rocks (similar to epiphytes). These rocks can be very large, like inselbergs. These latter plants are also called “lithophytic.” Under “Known range,” states, provinces, districts, or in some cases, localities within countries are in parentheses. Under “Misc. notes,” “cold sensitive” indicates that significant and potentially lethal damage can be done to a plant at temperatures > 32oF (0oC). We hope that you find this table useful. Abbreviations: JBS - Journal of the Bromeliad Society m - meter(s) ssp. - subspecies syn. - synonym v. - variety 1 Definitions (some have been taken from the Bromeliad Glossary40): anthesis - blooming bract - modified leaf, usually associated with the inflorescence caatinga - open, dry forest calyx - in bromeliads, the three sepals campina - clearing, opening caulescent - with a conspicuous stem cerro (Spanish), serra (Portuguese) - mountain clone - a single clump of plants, usually produced from a single individual concolor - of a single color, no variation in color discolor – leaves that are one shade or color on upper surface and another on lower surface epiphyte – a plant that grows on another plant but does not derive nutrition or water from that plant fascicle - the flower cluster heliophile - sun-loving inflorescence –includes all components of the flowering part of the plant inselberg - isolated, flat-topped mountain, another name for tepui llanos - seasonally flooded, lowland plains mesic – regularly moist environment quebrada - ravine, valley panicle – a loosely arranged, branched inflorescence pidicel – the stalk of an individual flower (grows off the rachis, but very few Aechmeas have pidicels) peduncle – the stalk of the inflorescence (like a scape) perianthe – the flower taken as a whole, composed of sepals and petals rachis – the ultimate stem bearing the flowers restinga - coastal forest, on sand scape - the stem of an inflorescence sepal - outer perianthe whorl, 3 in bromeliads sport – a single plant that deviates in form or coloration (e.g., a variegated or albino form) from others in the same cluster type - the original material upon which the taxon’s author bases his new taxonomic description Size classes: Small: <30 cm (3 dm) (<1 ft) Medium-sized: 31 cm-70 cm (1-2 ft) Med-large 71-100 cm (2-3 ft) Large: > 100 cm (>3 ft) 2 Species name subgenus1 Meaning of Date Known range Occurrence Notes on appearance Misc. notes species name of first Elevation Habitat Substrate (morphology) public- cation A. abbreviata Aechmea short, compact 1959 Ecuador (Napo, 1,000- primary epiphytic blooming plant small probably inflorescence Sucumbios, 1,100 m lowland forest to medium-sized endangered due Pastaza) only to habitat requirements; cold sensitive A. aciculosa Pothuava needle-like 1904 Ecuador 350- tropical epiphytic plant medium-sized; sepals (LaPalma, 2,000 m lowland & looks like a western states) low montane Ronnbergia rainforest colombiana A. aculeatasepala Aechmea with spines on 1976 Ecuador (Napo, 1,000- montane epiphytic plant small to medium- ants often make (syn. Neo. sepals Morona to 1,700 m Amazonian sized; looks like a gardens in this aculeatasepala, Santiago) forests Neoregelia, but sepals species; grows but see Leme & southward to & petals are like an best in cool, Marigo, 1993) Perú Aechmea; long stolons, moist inflorescence nested in environments large sepals; fruits enmeshed in a sweet, gelatinous matrix A. alba Macrochordion white flowers 1892 Brazil (Bahia) 0-300 m plant medium-large A. alegrensis Ortgiesia for location of 1986 Brazil (Espírito plant medium-sized discovery— Santo) Alegre, in Espírito Santo A. allenii Pothuava for discoverer of 1941 Costa Rica; 10- mid elevation epiphytic plant small commonly used the species, P.H. Panama 1,200 m rain forest for Allen hybridization A. alopecurus Pothuava resembles 1892 Brazil (Bahia)30 epiphytic, plant medium-large to good landscape foxtail grass terrestrial large plant, can take considerable direct sunlight A. amicorum Aechmea two friends 2002 Brazil (Bahia) 0-100 m coastal forests terrestrial plant large (referring to Wally Berg & John Anderson) 3 A. amorimii Aechmea for Andre 1996 Brazil (Bahia) 100 m coastal epiphytic plant medium-sized to (Streptocalyx-like) Amorim, a rainforest medium-large; may be Brazilian closely related to A. botanist bicolor3 A. ampla Aechmea large, ample 1972 Brazil (Bahia, 100 m restinga, epiphytic plant large; variable sometimes leaf sheaths Rio de Janeiro) coastal degrees of bright red at confused in ends of leaves culture with Hoehenbergia castelanosii A. andersoniana Lamprococcus for discoverer of 2003 Brazil (Bahia) 0-30 m coastal epiphytic plant small, related to the species, rainforest A. bicolor John Anderson A. andersonii Aechmea for discoverer of 1998 Brazil (Bahia) 800 m wet, humid epiphytic plant small; related to the species, Atlantic forest A. fulgens John Anderson A. angustifolia Aechmea narrow leaves 1838 widely ranging; 0- in Venezuela, epiphytic, flowering plant fruits eaten by (syn: A. eggersii, Costa Rica to 2,000 m moist terrestrial medium -large; vase- birds; forms of A. leucocarpa) Perú; Bolivia; temperate shaped in coastal this species Venezuela forest & region; long, narrow have been (Apure, warm riparian leaves & open form in misidentified as Barinas, lowlands; in Amazonian region; separate Bolivar, Costa Rica, many local forms species, but Territorio Atlantic much of the Federal coastal forest; variation Amazonas) in general, disappears semideciduou when the s, lowland, & various low montane “species” are rainforests, cultivated coastal & together under Amazonian the same region; only conditions 8, species in the ants frequently genus that inhabit this occurs in both species coastal & Amazonian regions A. anomala Platyaechmea uneven sepals 1945 Colombia; Perú 230- Amazon epiphytic plant large 250 m rainforest 4 A. apocalyptica Ortgiesia nude, uncovered 1962 Brazil (Saõ 900- Atlantic epiphytic plant small scape Paulo, Santa 1,000 m coastal Catarina) Araucaria forest & thickets A. aquilega Aechmea sharp bracts, 1806 widely 0-650 m caatinga; epiphytic, plant medium-large to source of water (syn: A. aquilega like an eagle’s distributed in lowland; in (mostly) very large; frequently in caatinga; at v. chrysocoma, A. beak South America; Venezuela, terrestrial, confused with A. flowering, capitata, A. hellae) Jamaica; Costa forms big saxicolous rubens, A. excretes creamy Rica; Venezuela masses in between emmerichiae, & A. fat-free (Aragua, moist tropical rocks mulfordii29; substance Carabobo, forest inflorescence not well- between Falcon, branched; long red flowers, no one Monagas, bracts, longer than knows why; Nueva Esparte, floral branches; good landscape Miranda, Sucre, flowers in dense, plant, can take Bolivar); globose heads considerable Trinidad & direct sunlight Tobago; Guiana; Brazil (Bahia) A. aquilega v. Aechmea form has white 1999 Venezuela epiphytic plant medium-large to single sport aquilega forma bracts & flowers (eastern) large; except