Bromeliaceae VOLUME XLII - No. 6 - NOV/DEC 2008 The Bromeliad Society of Queensland Inc. P. O. Box 565, Fortitude Valley Queensland, Australia 4006, Home Page www.Bromeliadsqueensland. OFFICERS PRESIDENT Olive Trevor (07) 3351 1203 VICE PRESIDENT Anne McBurnie PAST PRESIDENT Bob Reilly (07) 3870 8029 SECRETARY Chris Coulthard TREASURER Glenn Bernoth (07) 4661 3 634 BROMELIACEAE EDITOR Ross Stenhouse SHOW ORGANISER Bob Cross COMMITTEE Greg Aizlewood, Bruce Dunstan, Barry Kable, Arnold James,Viv Duncan, David Rees MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY Roy Pugh (07) 3263 5057 SEED BANK CO-ORDINATOR Doug Parkinson (07) 5497 5220 AUDITOR Anna Harris Accounting Services SALES AREA CASHIER Norma Poole FIELD DAY CO-ORDINATOR Ruth Kimber & Bev Mulcahy LIBRARIAN Evelyn Rees ASSISTANT SHOW ORGANISER Phil Beard SUPPER STEWARDS Nev Ryan, Barry Genn PLANT SALES Pat Barlow Phil James COMPETITION STEWARDS Dorothy Cutcliffe, Arnold James CHIEF COMPETITION STEWARD HOSTESS Gwen Parkinson BSQ WEBMASTER Ross Stenhouse LIFE MEMBERS Grace Goode OAM Peter Paroz, Michael ORDea 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 re\ect 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: Pitcairnia Photo by Ross Stenhouse Rear Cover : Vriesea Q Miranda R Photo by Ross Stenhouse Bromeliaceae 2 Nov/Dec 2008 Contents THERE IS A S TORY TO T ELL ...................................................................................................5 NEOREGELIAS AT THE 2008 SPRING S HOW ..............................................................................5 AECHMEA SERRATA .................................................................................................................9 NOLA RS D ILEMMA .................................................................................................................13 BROMAGIC MNEW O WNERSHIP M NEW D IRECTION ................................................................17 AT T HE S PRING S HOW .........................................................................................................19 RETIREMENT OF A R EGISTRAR .............................................................................................21 THE BSQ WEB S ITE ............................................................................................................21 DAWN S WEEP OF G REENHOUSE R ESCUES O RPHANS ...............................................................24 MAKING A M INIATURE B ROMELIAD T REE .............................................................................24 ANNUAL G ENERAL M EETING ................................................................................................28 OF THE B ROMELIAD S OCIETY OF Q UEENSLAND I NC . ..............................................................28 SOME S UGGESTIONS TO E XHIBITORS : WHAT ! NO B LUE R IBBON ? .........................................30 SOME T IPS ON WHY , WHEN AND H OW Y OU T AKE P UPS .......................................................32 NEO . QH EART M USIC R ...........................................................................................................38 QUESNELIA QTIM P LOWMAN R CAUSES SOME MAIL ....................................................................38 DEB G REEN F ROG GETS Q UESTIONS .....................................................................................40 THANKS FROM THE O LIVE B RANCH .......................................................................................40 FURTHER C OMMENTS ABOUT NEO . QH EART M USIC R ..............................................................40 ROB S MYTHE RS H YBRIDS ......................................................................................................41 VISIT TO A S UNSHINE C OAST , QUEENSLAND COLLECTION ......................................................42 DENGUE F EVER ....................................................................................................................44 QUESTIONS AND A NSWERS .....................................................................................................44 CALENDAR OF E VENTS ..........................................................................................................46 PLANT OF THE M ONTH P ROGRAMME FOR 2009 .....................................................................47 COMPETITION S CHEDULE FOR 2009 ......................................................................................47 Important things to remember to do: 18th April - Bromeliad Symposium 18/19th April - SocietyRs Autumn Show and Sale of Bromeliads at Mt Cootha Botanic Gardens 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 (2005, 2006 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 0432 to order books. Bromeliaceae 3 Nov/Dec 2008 Neo . QTootsieR Closeup of Neo . QTootsieR showing polymer [lm Neo . QSpeckled CreationR Neo . QHigh TideR Neo . QJoeRs MauveR Neo . QStreaky PeteR (unreg) Neo . QRasicalR(unreg) Neo . QImpnavila PeppermintR (unreg) Bromeliaceae 4 Nov/Dec 2008 There is a Story to Neoregelias at the Tell Author: Rob Smythe MSc 2008 Spring Show (by Bob Reilly) Tonight I was registering a new bro- meliad that I had bred. I always wait for the Neoregelias are at their best in South- [rst \ower to see what colour comes up in the ern Queensland from mid October to late centres as so many plants look alike Qtill this December. So, it was no surprise to see many happens. The [rst story is why call a plant lovely neoregelias on sale, and in displays, Neo . QTootsieR ? at the bromeliad show and sale on 8/9 No- The photo of it as a young yellowish vember 2008. seedling was probably the [rst time I had First, though, it is worth mentioning photographed a plant with my toes in the their cultural requirements. frame. So from then to registration it has The plants are mainly grown for their always been Neo . QTootsieR to me. foliage, as the in\orescence usually consists There is yet another story to tell so of a cluster of blue or white petalled \owers, grab your chair and come inside. I must stop in the middle of the plants OtankP. The tanks watching childrenRs shows with my grandchil- are formed by the plantsR central leaves. They dren. I sometimes sneak a watch of QPostman store water which helps the plants to meet PatR on my own. their moisture requirements. Now back to the other story. I supplied Neoregelias typically have a \at rosette our editor with three snaps. One is of the plant formed by 15 to 30 leaves, all of which have at maturity, one I have mentioned and the small spines on their margins. Many of the other is a close up of the \ower. The latter is neoregelias grown today have attractively quite amazing and another wonder of nature. M marked and coloured foliage throughout Pollination is what supports continuation of their life. This colouration often becomes plant life. Plants throw \owers when about more intense at \owering, when the plantRs to die. Wave \ags like the Billbergias, centre central portion often Ocolours upP in shades colours like the Neoregelias but this one is a of pink, purple, or red. photo of something quite unimaginable. Neoregelias grow well in pots, or small It is something I have never noticed buckets. The containers should have a diam- before. The water level was too high for this eter of 150 to 200 mm. Potting mixtures used \ower so it exuded a water repellent polymer successfully include: which spread over the water. # Well composted pine bark to which The surface tension so produced al- a continuous release, over a period of nine lowed the sexual parts of the \ower to stay dry months or more, fertiliser such as Nutricote yet below water line. I believe the plant has or Osmocote is added when the plants/pups also adapted to encourage ants to pollinate. are potted; The [lm is probably what the ants have been # Pine bark chunks, (such as those used using as a water bridge to get to my plantRs to grow cymbidium orchids in), treated with \owers. a special type of fertiliser available from the Nature is simply amazing. Bromeliad Society of Queensland. Combine Bromeliaceae 5 Nov/Dec 2008 Neo . QLittle DreamsR (unreg) Neo . QEau de CologneR Neo . QPitch BlackR Neo . QVictoriaR x QVan DormeR Neo . QStar PerformanceR Neo . QPink DelightR (unreg) Neo . QBullisR purple form Neo. QOld Love LettersR Bromeliaceae 6 Nov/Dec 2008 1 part charcoal with 7 parts treated bark to graphs of many of them. form this potting mixture; QBeelzebubR x QFireballR - registered # A mixture of 2 parts Peatmoss or as QEau de CologneR About 20, 4 cm wide, Cocopeat combined with 1 part coarse sand. leaves form a \at rosette approximately 30 Add Nutricote or Osmocote