June 2011 UNE WEBPAGE: J 21 2001 @ 7 :30 PM Speaker: Dr
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BromeliAdvisory June 2011 UNE WEBPAGE: http://www.bssf-miami.org/ J 21 2001 @ 7 :30 PM Speaker: Dr. Karl Green – Bromeliad Quiz for http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_1881 55814554155&ap=1 prizes (bromeliads) hosted by Dr. Karl Green. RAFFLE TABLE: Paul Finlayson and Dr. Bob http://ja-jp.facebook.com/pages/Bromeliad-So Grayson (don’t miss this one) ciety-of-South-Florida/84661684279 FOOD TABLE: Barbara Sparling, Sara Donayre, Maureen Adelman, Bernice Reed, Pat Gatjens President Carl Bauer VP: Barbara Partagas Treasurer: Alan Herndon Karl Green will be our speaker. Karl is an Secretary: Lori Weyrick active member with exceptional growing DIRECTORS skills and taxonomic proficiency in Past Pres.: Robert Meyer bromeliads. A retired medical doctor, Directors: Karl’s endeavors in the bromeliad world Nat DeLeon ‘10-‘11 have bursted from hobbyist to serious and Rhonda Herndon ‘10-‘11 learned grower whose rented shade house Sandy Roth ‘11-‘12 has thousands of species – accentuated with Craig Morrell ‘11-‘12 a large scale collection of pure foster plants. And, with a dry whimsical and often wry manner, Karl lends a laugh to our Karl Green sports Editor a Tillandsia Robert C Meyer meetings and members. funkiana Door Prize: Alan Herndon Inside this edition: Education: Nat DeLeon PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE ............................. 2 GARDEN NOTES ................................ 2-3 Hospitality: Elaine Mills A BUSY YEAR AHEAD ............................ 4-5 Library: Ofelia Sorzano FIELD TRIP ...................................... 5 Membership: Moyna Prince HOW ABOUT A NIGHT RIDE?......................... 6 Member Plant Sales: Antonio BOARD TO PRESENT NAT DELEON SCHOLARSHIP ......... 6 Arbelaez MURDER IN CORBIN A............................ 6-7 Raffle: Mike Michalski Refreshments: Patty Gonzalez What Who Now we are on facebook with Sales Antonio Arbelaez two pages for your pleasure. Table BromliAdvisory Page 2 President's Letter may seem like a clear sign of greater than normal bloom, but I am not convinced yet. None this month – Carl has been busy learning how There are several Alcantarea plants flowering at to drive the new trolleys at Fairchild. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden also (including Alcantarea odorata),but only a small Garden Notes - May 2011 proportion of their blooming size plants are by Alan Herndon actually in bloom. I would be interested to hear if other people have any flowering Alcantarea. Summer has not quite arrived according to the calendar, but in terms of plant growth, we are Species of Billbergia are continuing their spring already there. Our local winds are still at blooming bonanza. For the most part, plants are spring levels, giving us some respite from the blooming sporadically within groups, but a worst of the heat, but sooner or later, the winds group of Billbergia ‘Hallelujah’ that were split will calm and our afternoon temperatures will apart and repotted in April are all blooming again regularly reach the 90's. On the other now. This near-simultaneous bloom in hand, the unseasonably high winds are also Billbergia ‘Hallelijah’ can be explained by the suppressing our normal rain clouds, so we have stimulus the plants received on being put in remained dry later than usual. fresh potting medium with ample fertilizer. Well-fed plants are blooming with greater The spring flowering flush in Aechmea frequency than their less heavily fertilized chantinii has, if anything, increased in intensity cousins because the pups grow more rapidly and over the past month. Now we have the smaller reach blooming size in a shorter time. plants, including seedlings flowering for the first time, coming into bloom. Unfortunately, Canistrum fosterianum and Canistrum seidelii since these plants are small when coming into are both still in bloom. flower, the inflorescences are also small. I expect the inflorescences will be larger once Some Cryptanthus species are still in bloom, but pups are given a chance to grow, but I cannot not in the numbers seen last month. Now afford to hold many of the plants for another Cryptanthus correia-araujoi, Cryptanthus year just to check this. In Aechmea subgenus capitatus, and Cryptanthus burle-marxii are Ortgiesia, there are still a few species apparently the only species with open flowers. blooming, but numbers are clearly ebbing. Various clones of Aechmea nudicaulis have Several Hohenbergia species, most not widely continued blooming off and on this month also, known because they lack any horticultural the most notable being the clone that only appeal, are blooming. Hohenbergia stellata is received an official name recently in the largely past bloom, but still retains good color Bromeliad Cultivar Registry as Aechmea on the inflorescences. Hohenbergia pennae is ‘Blackie’. There is some doubt about whether also blooming, although this plant is not grown this clone is a true nudicaulis because it has for the bloom. very inconspicuous spines on the leaf margins and almost entirely lacks the ‘thumbprint’ Neoregelia species and hybrids are blooming found in other clones. Since the plant was frantically. Members of the miniature originally obtained from the garden of Roberto Neoregelia ampullacea complex are blooming Burle Marx, the possibility that it is hybrid in every several weeks as new generations of pups origin must be considered. reach appropriate size. Another group of small, stoloniferous Neos, the Neoregelia olens Alcantarea species are in bloom now. I had 3 complex (Neoregelia camorimiana, Neoregelia species: Alcantarea vinicolor, Alcantarea eltoniana, Neoregelia indecora and Neoregelia glaziouana and Alcantarea imperialis produce olens) are also blooming regularly. As in the inflorescences. Another Alcantarea imperialis previous complex, the pups on these plants are planted in a nearby garden is also blooming. likely to produce flowers at a small size if they Karl Green also has 3 blooming plants: are left on the parents for very long. In medium- Alcantarea nahoumii, Alcantarea glaziouana size species, Neoregelia compacta and (albomarginate form), Alcantarea vinicolor and Neoregelia macwilliamsii are blooming in small a forth species in bud from Elton Leme that numbers along with the closely related may represent Alcantarea mucilaginosa. This Neoregelia ‘Bossa Nova’. Among large plants, BromliAdvisory Page 3 members of the Neoregelia johannis group and schatzlii is another species in flower. This is the Neoregelia carcharodon group are still grown more for an ‘interesting’ shape, and the flowering, but are nearing the end. succulent, trichome-covered leaves than the bloom. Species of Nidularium are still blooming in numbers although more species seem to be in bud than in flower at the moment. Nidularium The inflorescence is a simple spike with a innocentii and Nidularium longiflorum still pleasing, but not outstanding, pink color have open flowers. Although many species of the Tillandsia fasciculata complex are now past flowering, Species of Orthophytum continue in full others, often pups from plants that bloomed bloom. Most members of the Orthophytum earlier in the year are in bud or flower. A few disjunctum complex are in flower or bud. members of Tillandsia subgenus Anoplophytum These include the less common Orthophytum are also in bloom, although not nearly so many conquistense, Orthophytum harleyi, and as in previous months. Tillandsia caput- Orthophytum rubiginosum along with the more medusae is another interesting species in bloom. common Orthophytum alvimii, Orthophytum disjunctum, Orthophytum gurkenii, Many Vriesea species are still in bud or in Orthophytum magalhaesii and Orthophytum bloom right now. It appears to me that we are maracasense. In the Orthophytum amoenum again having much more flowering activity complex, I currently have a single plant of among members of this genus than we see Orthophytum roseum and a single plant of during ‘normal’ years. Notable species in Orthophytum zanonii in bloom. bloom are Vriesea ensiformis, Vriesea incurvata, Vriesea procera and Vriesea Portea petropolitana extensa continues in malzinii. Unfortunately, there is nothing on bloom. earth that a plant-eating snail finds more desirable than nice, fresh Vriesea inflorescence Many Tillandsia species are still in bud or in (although it might find a nice, fresh orchid bloom. A few rogue clumps of Tillandsia flower equally attractive), so we have lost ionantha don’t know any better than to bloom several potential blooms to their voracious at this time of year. Two plants of Tillandsia appetites in nighttime raids. concolor are outdoing themselves this year. Both have turned bright red in both leaf and As we move into summer, many spring- bloom. Normally, the inflorescence maintains flowering plants will cease to flower. I expect a green tint throughout flowering. These are the species of Aechmea subgenus Ortgiesia and plants that came from Tropiflora. I don’t know the cultivars of Aechmea nudicaulis to finish whether the coloration is normal for this clone, blooming soon. Aechmea chantinii will or the result of our unusual weather during the continue to bloom throughout the summer, but past two years. I will be desperately awaiting at a much lower rate than present. Billbergia the flowering of the pups to see whether they species will bloom little, if at all, over the maintain the brighter colors. Tillandsia summer. Different species of Neoregelia will begin to bloom now, replacing the spring- flowering species. Members of the Orthophytum disjunctum complex, on the other hand, will continue blooming right through the next several months. There are plenty of buds on species of Nidularium, Tillandsia and Vriesea to ensure flowers for the coming months (assuming the snails leave anything for us to look at). So, plan to spend time in your garden this summer. Your plants will enjoy the company. BromliAdvisory Page 4 A Busy Year Ahead public on Saturday and Sunday. Of course, we will by Alan Herndon need as much help as we can get from the membership to put on this show. You will hear plenty about the opportunities to help. Over the next 18 months, our calendar is full of large bromeliad events within easy travel distance.