Bromeliaceae VOLUME XLI - No. 6 - NOV/DEC 2007 The Bromeliad Society of Queensland Inc. P. O. Box 565, Fortitude Valley Queensland, Australia 4006, Home Page www.bromsqueensland.com OFFICERS PRESIDENT Olive Trevor (07) 3351 103 VICE PRESIDENT Barry Kable PAST PRESIDENT Bob Reilly (07) 3870 809 SECRETARY Chris Coulthard TREASURER Glenn Bernoth (07) 4661 3 634 BROMELIACEAE EDITOR Ross Stenhouse SHOW ORGANISER Bob Cross COMMITTEE David Rees, Paul Dunstan, Ann McBur- nie, Arnold James,Viv Duncan MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY Roy Pugh (07) 363 5057 SEED BANK CO-ORDINATOR Doug Parkinson (07) 5497 50 AUDITOR Anna Harris Accounting Services SALES AREA STEWARD Pat Barlow FIELD DAY CO-ORDINATOR Nancy Kickbusch LIBRARIAN Evelyn Rees ASSISTANT SHOW ORGANISER Phil Beard SUPPER STEWARDS Nev Ryan, Barry Genn PLANT SALES Nancy Kickbusch (Convenor) N. Poole (Steward) COMPETITION STEWARDS Dorothy Cutcliffe, Alan Phythian CHIEF COMPETITION STEWARD Jenny Cakurs HOSTESS Gwen Parkinson BSQ WEBMASTER Ross Stenhouse LIFE MEMBERS Grace Goode OAM Peter Paroz, Michael O’Dea Editors Email Address: [email protected] The Bromeliad Society of Queensland Inc. gives permission to all Bromeliad Societies to re- print articles in their journals provided proper acknowledgement is given to the original author and the Bromeliaceae, and no contrary direction is published in Bromeliaceae. This permission does not apply to any other person or organisation without the prior permission of the author. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the individual contributor and may not neces- sarily reflect the opinions of the Bromeliad Society of Queensland or of the Editor Authors are responsible for the accuracy of the information in their articles. Front Cover: Guz. ‘Loja’ Photo by Ross Stenhouse Rear Cover : Bill. alfonsi-joannis Photo by Ross Stenhouse Bromeliaceae Nov/Dec 007 Contents SAVING WATER WITH BROMELIADS .........................................................................................5 A FEW INTERESTING POINTS RAISED BY A COUNTRY MEMBER .................................................7 THE BSQ WEB SITE ..............................................................................................................7 THE EDITORS DESK ................................................................................................................9 PLANTS AT THE 2007 SPRING SHOW......................................................................................11 TILLANDSIA ‘SPLITENZ’ ......................................................................................................13 TIMES ARE A’CHANGING ........................................................................................................15 BLACK NEOREGELIAS ...........................................................................................................17 NOW THAT’S UNUSUAL .........................................................................................................21 GRACE GOODE’S MINIATURE NEOREGELIA HYBRIDS. ..........................................................23 COLLECTING ADVENTURE IN EQUADOR - A DREAM COME TRUE ...........................................28 INTRASPECIFIC VARIATION IN TILLANDSIA: ...........................................................................36 SELECTING SUPERIOR FORMS ................................................................................................36 HOW TO PREPARE A BROMELIAD SPECIMEN FOR IDENTIFICATION BY THE BIC ......................42 TILLANDSIA USNEOIDES IN BIO-MONITORING..........................................................................42 BSQ PLANT COMPETITION RESULTS .....................................................................................44 BROMELIADS XV TO BE KNOWN AS BROMADELAIDE ..............................................................44 DID YOU KNOW? .................................................................................................................45 RESULTS FROM 2007 ANNUAL COMPETITIONS ......................................................................46 CALENDAR OF EVENTS ..........................................................................................................46 PLANT OF THE MONTH PROGRAMME FOR 2008 .....................................................................47 COMPETITION SCHEDULE FOR 2008 ......................................................................................47 Important things to remember to do: (1) Renew Your Membership Due - due 1st January 008 () Attend the Bromeliad Society of Queensland’s Annual General Meeting, Thurs- day 21st February at the Uniting Hall, 5 Merthyr Rd., New Farm, Brisbane, com- mencing 8 pm. Nominations for the management committee positions need to be received by the society’s secretary 14 days prior to the meeting. (see BSQ web site for further info) (3) Attend the Society’s Autumn “Bromeliad Bonanza” Show and Plant Sale at Mt Cootha Botanical Gardens 5th and 6th April 2008. If you want to help setup then you can attend on the Friday (4th) preceding the show. (See BSQ Web site for more info) Books For Sale The Society has the following books for sale: • Starting with Bromeliads $18 • Pitcher Plants of the Americas $60 • Bromeliads: A Cultural Manual $5 • Back Copies of Bromeliaceae (005, 006 Editions) $4 • Bromeliads for the Contemporary Garden by Andrew Steens $36 • Bromeliads: Next Generation by Shane Zaghini $33 Postage and package extra. Unfortunately we cannot supply overseas orders. Please phone the Librarian, Mrs Evelyn Rees (07) 3355 043 to order books. Bromeliaceae 3 Nov/Dec 2007 Neo. ‘Dawns Autumn’ unreg Guz. squarrosa Neo. ‘Pink Sensation’ Ae. nudicaulis Ae. nudicaulis inflorescence Guz. lingulata variegata ‘Orange’ Bromeliaceae 4 Nov/Dec 007 preference to town water. Saving Water with • Many of the hardy bromeliads such as neoregelias and acechmeas can be watered, Bromeliads without ill effects, using the final rinse water (They discovered tanks before we did!) from clothes’ washing machines. There are over 5,000 bromeliad va- • If you use other sources of greywater, rieties and hybrids. They come in a wide repot the plants at yearly intervals to mini- range of shapes, sizes and colours. Many mise salt build up in the pots. are drought tolerant and are well adapted to 4. Watering schedules sub-tropical and tropical climates. • Many of the hardy bromeliads can get Some tips to make the most of these by with being watered once a month in winter hardy, colourful plants when water is scarce and once a fortnight in summer, provided the are: soil around the plant’s roots is thoroughly 1. Plant selection wetted when you do water them. Some bro- • The hardiest bromeliads have relatively meliads can survive on even less water, but thick, “hard” leaves, or have leaves heavily they will not look their best. covered in silver “scurf”. Bromeliads with • If you can, keep the “wells”, (formed by thin leaves, which can be easily bent, are the bromeliad’s inner leaves), full of water. less hardy. • If you give the bromeliads a bit more • Widely grown hardy bromeliads include shade than normal, then they will need less aechmeas, alcantareas (great for situations water. where you want plants that grow to over a 5. More information metre), billbergias, neoregelias (very popu- • Contact the Bromeliad Society of lar, colourful, low-growing bromeliads) and Queensland website: tillandsias (these can be hung on walls and www.bromsqueensland.com fences). or write to the Society at: 2. Growing tips PO Box 565 • Use a larger pot rather than a smaller Fortitude Valley Qld 400 one, as the plant will need watering less • The Society has biannual shows at Mt frequently. Coot-tha where you can purchase a wide • Use a potting mixture which has plenty range of bromeliads such as those described of organic matter and water crystals in it. here, and obtain free advice on how to grow • Many bromeliads can be grown on them. the ground, in material which drains readily such as fine pine bark. They will often need Rob Smythe’s Solution to less water than those grown in pots. • If you take the spout off the end of your Sand Fly Bites watering can, it is earlier to fill the bromeliads This will give you a laugh. My latest “well” or “tank” (formed by the plant’s inner prevention for sand fly bites. On my patio leaves), and water the soil underneath their sill there is an array of sprays, one of which leaves. This reduces the amount of water is a blue can of Aerogard and another blue you need. can which is clear lacquer. I can assure you 3. Alternative water sources lacquer to the back of the knees definitely • Bromeliads like rainwater, so use it in prevents sand fly bites. Bromeliaceae 5 Nov/Dec 2007 Neo. pauciflora Neo. ‘Royal Robe’ Neo. ‘Strawberry Cream’ Bil. ‘Windii’ inflorescence Ae. fasciata var. purpurea Neo. ‘de Rolf’ Bromeliaceae 6 Nov/Dec 007 have to know what you are after and being A few Interesting relative new to broms, I had no idea. Seeing that the society has so Points raised by a may members now, and most are on the net, a Notice Board would be the best and simplest Country Member way for all members. Hope to hear your thoughts Country members face a different situ- on this ation and set of problems which those of us in the capital cities don’t face. It’s easy to be Kind Regards oblivious to their particular problems. It’s Lea also easy to fail to comprehend the problems that can beexperienced if you are the only With reference to the first dot point, bromeliad grower in the