Bromelcairns Bimonthly Newsletter of Cairns Bromeliad Societ Inc. 2016 # 2 P.O. Box 28 Cairns Queensland 4870 Austalia President Brendan Leishman 0740578604 V-President Matt Wilson Secretary Dave Weston 0740578604 Treasurer Kelly Knight 0418768167 Librarian Steven French 0740322283 Editor Lynn Hudson 0740533913 Editor Assist. Jodie Smith 0405022155 Concierge Sharron Miller 0740322283 Pop.Vote Steward Lynn Hudson 0740533913 OIC Raffles Karen Stevens 0740361086 OIC Pots Frances Boyd 0740552550 Honorary Life Member - Grace Goode O.A.M. Honorary Life Member - Kay Edington Life Member - Lynn Hudson Life Member - Robert (Bob) Hudson ******************************************************************** Aims of the Society Promote and Develop Interest in Bromeliads through Friendship To Co-operate with similar Clubs throughout the World ******************************************************************** Membership Fee: $15 Single, $25 Family, Country Member $25. $7.50 junior (if not in family membership) Meetings start at 1.pm sharp first Saturday of the month. Please bring a cup and a chair. Library: All books & magazines borrowed are to be returned in good order to the following meeting. If not on wait list, they may be rebooked. Plant Display/Sales: To participate, a member must be financial and circumstances permitting, have attended at least three meetings in the past six months. Where the society is charged a stall fee - 20% of sales are deducted for club funds. No charge venue & meetings - 10% of sales is deducted. All plants to be clean, free of disease, named and price tagged. Show Plants: Must be the property of and in the custody of the entrant for the past three months. For Society Shows the entrant must be financial and have attended at least three meetings during the past six months. Pens, Plant Tags & Pots: available at each meeting. If reprinting article, wholly or in part, please acknowledge Author & Newsletter. Any article &/or Bromelcairns will be Emailed on request to [email protected] or www.bromeliadsdownunder.wordpress.com 2 Club Actvites & Around te Members MARCH: We had good attendance, visitor Leilani Morris and our new member Maurice Anderson was able to attend. Our mini show of any flowering bromeliad attracted varied entries - a good cross section for the new members viewing and to add to their wish lists. Dave’s Catopsis berteroniana drew most attention and he gave us an interesting talk on catopsis species. Darryl’s Aechmea ‘Samurai’ had good colour and form. Bob’s Tillandsia bradeana was a bright red. Steven’s Aechmea ‘Darth Vader’ was a perfect mini. Brendan showed Aechmea ‘Maryanne’ a huge plant, nearly a metre wide and a branched inflorescence a metre high. It was seed grown by Barry Burke, labelled as Hohenbergia ridleyi but this amazing plant probably has chantinii & blanchetiana parentage. Named after Barry’s lovely wife Maryanne - they are the same height but not width! * Sharron is making a list of members flowering plants and members are asked to advise her when your plants look their best. Please note - this differs from ‘Flowering Plants’ for Show purposes where it is considered flowering as soon as the plant changes - in colouring or when the knob is formed in a neoregelia. * It was great to see the Novice members bring in well grown plants and we hope you continue to better each other. MINI SHOW - Flowering Bromeliad ! 1st Catopsis berteroniana – Dave Weston 2nd Aechmea ‘Samurai’– Darryl Lister 3rd. Tillandsia bradeana – Bob Hudson POPULAR VOTE NOVICE - Bromeliad Vriesea vagans - Jo Smith Cryptanthus Cryptanthus zonatus - Maurice Anderson Tillandsia 1st Tillandsia andreana - Paul Morris 2nd. Tillandsia cyanea – Maurice Anderson 3rd. Tillandsia ‘Houston’ - Maurice Anderson OPEN - Bromeliad 1st Catopsis berteroniana – Dave Weston 2nd. Neoregelia ‘Voodoo Doll’ - Brendan Leishman 3rd. Aechmea ‘Samurai’- Darryl Lister Cryptanthus 1st Cryptanthus ‘Thriller’ – Lynn Hudson 1st Cryptanthus ‘Volcano’ - Dave Weston 2nd. Cryptanthus ‘Black Mood’ – Lynn Hudson 2nd. Cryptanthus‘Witchdoctor’ - Brendan Leishman Tillandsia 1st Tillandsia hildae – Dave Weston 2nd. Tillandsia bradeana – Bob Hudson 3rd. Tillandsia ehlersiana – Sharron Miller Vriesea vagans Cryptanthus ‘Witchdoctor’ ^ Aechmea ‘Darth Vader’ > Far right - Aechmea ‘Maryanne’ Neoregelia’Voodoo Doll’ Tillandsia hildae Tillandsia ehlersiana ********************************************************************* Catopsis - notes from Dave’s March presentation. Catopsis habitat is from the southern tip of Florida, throughout Mexico, the Caribbean and South America. Catopsis berteroniona habitat elevation ranges from sea level to above 1300m. They are epiphytic, clinging to bare branches of moderate to large trees with sparse foliage. They attach in a dense mass of wiry roots. They can also be found in dense tropical rainforest. Plants in high light take on a luminous yellow appearance. A white epicuticular wax coats the leaves, particularly more so towards the base, giving them a powdered appearance. Catopsis berteroniana has been referred to as insectivorous or carnivorous as their slippery leaves trap insects for nutrients. Most catopsis are open vase shaped but some are bulbous Flowers are small and range in colour. [Pics from Google] 4 Club Actvites & Around te Members APRIL: Again attendance was good and we were inundated with really well grown tillandsias, 17 in all! It was very hard to judge such beauties. *New Members: Welcome to Noelene Parker from Townsville, Robyn Forrester and Leilani Morris and welcome back to Margaret Marton who rejoined after a few busy years break. We hope you each enjoy learning with us. I am really happy to again have a Junior, Leilani’s favourite is Tillandsia bulbosa and Bob plans to wean her off them - she showed a good andreana.! * Excellent to have novices Paul & Maurice entering their tillandsias. While Maurice was voted first with cyanea, Paul was close with a healthy ‘Cotton Candy’. MINI SHOW - Tillandsia 1st Tillandsia hildae – Dave Weston >>>>>> 2nd Tillandsia ehlersiana – Sharron Miller 3rd. Till. ‘Samantha’ – Brendan Leishman MINI SHOW - Tillandsia Flowering 1st Tillandsia streptocarpa – Bob Hudson 2nd Tillandsia crocata – Dave Weston 3rd. Till. butzii hybrid – Brendan Leishman POPULAR VOTE JUNIOR – Tillandsia 1st. Tillandsia andreana – Leilani Morris NOVICE - Tillandsia 1st Tillandsia cyanea - Maurice Anderson 2nd. Tillandsia ‘Cotton Candy’– Paul Morris 3rd. Till. xerographica - Maurice Anderson OPEN - Bromeliad 1st Neoregelia ‘Chester’ – Dave Weston 2nd. Neoregelia ‘Lorena’ – Steve French 3rd. Neoregelia ‘Bill Morris’– Darryl Lister 3rd.Orthophytum ‘Warren Loose’ - Kelly Knight Cryptanthus 1st Cryptanthus ‘Elaine’ – Brendan Leishman 1st Cryptanthus ‘Thriller’ – Dave Weston 3rd. Cryptanthus ‘Robert Read’ – Kelly Knight Tillandsia 1st Tillandsia streptocarpa – Bob Hudson 2nd. Tillandsia tectorum – Lynn Hudson 3rd. Tillandsia tricolepsis – Brendan Leishman 3rd. Tillandsia hildae – Dave Weston 5 Tillandsia streptocarpa Tillandsia crocata Tillandsia butzii hybrid Tillandsias ‘Halleys Comet’ andreana ‘Cotton Candy’ tricolepsis Tillandsia ‘LC’ Bob separating a Tillandsia streptophylla clump Bob managed 12 good offsets but some were discarded. He advised the plants have problems growing to full size if left in a large clump as they vie for nutrition and space. Far right: Francis brought in a long stemmed Vriesea ospinae var. gruberi asking what to do with it as she is tired of staking it and it will not stand alone. Greg advised her to cut the long bare stem, leaving a few sets of leaves on the top of the stem. Offsets should form among those leaves. With the top part, prune off a few bottom leaves and plant it as normal. Thanks Greg. The meeting was all about tillandsias and we had some very attractive and well grown plants to drool over. Yes there is more yet! Thank You Brendan for taking so many pics, they are all included! 6 Tillandsia crocata notes from Jo Smith! Dave has had this yellow flowering T. crocata for about 7-8 years and has entered it a number of times in the Cairns Show. Origin & Habitat: Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay. Altitude: 900-2700 meters above sea level.! Tillandsia crocata is a xerophyte, epiphytic or saxicolous (rock-dwelling) bromeliad with silvery grey-green leaves. It may be simple or spreading through few branched horizontal rhizomes and forms miniature bundled clumps about 10-20 cm tall and wide. Its delightful yellow flowers waft one of the strongest and most delightful fragrances of any Tillandsia and warrant its great desirability among collectors. This plant likes bright indirect light and protection from hot sun, it is best placed in a sheltered spot in the garden during the summer to facilitate flowering. In a dark location the plant will gradually weaken and wither.! Pest & diseases: No serious insect or disease problems. Watch for aphids, thrips and scale. Mealybug infestations are also a frequent problem. [www.llifle.com 14 Nov. 2005. 25 Apr 2016. </Encyclopedia/BROMELIADS/Family/ Bromeliaceae/28150/Tillandsia_crocata>] Thanks Jo. *** [I have always loved this plant and watching it grow has been very interesting. It starts as one forked branch and over time, more ‘branches’ grow over and above the original to form this fascinating clump. Added to the fascinating form are the trichomes that give the plant a ‘fluffy’ appearance. then there are perfumed flowers! Lynn] **********************************************************************************