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What is this Grass-like Bromeliad ?

Verfasst: Donnerstag, 17 April 2008, 15:51
von chanin
I received this unknown bromeliad from my friend.
He said he took it from a brom collection in USA. Last month it shot long inflorescences.
The flower is so tiny. I just guess mine is a member in genus Fosterella, any idea ?

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Verfasst: Donnerstag, 17 April 2008, 18:10
von Timm Stolten
Hi Chanin

I think I have seen this guy before................
My first guess was Hechtia but your plant seem to have
perfect flowers.
We should ask Jule for this, she is writing her thesis on this genus.

Greetings Timm

Verfasst: Donnerstag, 17 April 2008, 18:31
von chanin
:D Thank you Timm, please ask your friend, I'll look forward to hear from you.

Cheers !

Verfasst: Donnerstag, 17 April 2008, 20:24
von Jule
Hi Chanin,
you´re right, that definitely is a Fosterella. Nice to see one in the Forum (a rare pleasure :wink: )! I guess, it´s F. spec nov. "robertreadii", which we are going to describe in Selbyana very soon. Do you have any collection data? "F. robertreadii " is known from Cusco, Peru.
Saludos,
Jule

Verfasst: Freitag, 18 April 2008, 6:51
von chanin
Hi Jule,

Thank you so much for your ID, that sound great as I got a new species :shock:

My friend just told me that he got it from Tropiflora nursery in Sarasota, Florida.
The plant had been mis-labelled as Hechtia sp.

Dennis Cathcart, the owner of Tropiflora used to have collecting trips in South America.
It's possible that he got this beauty from your locality, Peru.

In my opinion, I think Fosterella does look like a very primitive ancestor of Bromeliaceae.

May be a link from Grass family.

By the way, I'm appreciated that you can also use my picture in your paper, if you want :wink:
Pls let me know, I can send you hi-resolution pic, though.

Verfasst: Freitag, 18 April 2008, 10:46
von Jule
Hi Chanin,
thank you for your offer to use your picture! But the paper is already submitted - I can send you copy, once it is published.
Yes, that´s true, Fosterella looks quite "primitive". Interestingly, according to molecular data, it groups together with Dyckia, Deuterocohnia and Encholirium within the Pitcairnioideae s.str.
Regards
Jule

Verfasst: Samstag, 19 April 2008, 3:49
von chanin
Hi Jule :)

Dennis Cathcart himself just inform me that...

"...Regarding the Fosterella, I don't remember this plant specifically.
He may have received it from us as a Hechtia,
but it seems unlikely as the growth habit is so different.

Anyway, it doesn't matter.
Some years ago I made a trip to Bolivia and collected several Fosterella,
and one of those was later named F. spectabilis by Harry Luther.
It is possible that this plant is from that trip, but I don't know for sure...."

So if the plant also came from Bolivia, its distribution might be far to the East site too.

Cheers,

Chanin

Verfasst: Dienstag, 22 April 2008, 1:32
von chanin
:D Hi Jule & Timm,

Harry E Luther has informed me this morning :

"...Dear Chanin; the Fosterella in question came from Dennis Cathcart in 1978 labeled
as F. schidosperma which it is not. We had it for several years,
at least untill the late 1980s as F. aff rusbyi; we no longer have it.
It is a paratype for the soon to be published F. robertreadii.
I have no idea who thought it was a Hechtia!.....

Harry E. Luther
Director, Mulford B. Foster Bromeliad Identification Center
Curator, Living Collections
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens..."

Verfasst: Dienstag, 22 April 2008, 11:38
von Jule
Hi Chanin,
interesting news! Then it should be a descendant of the accession no. 1978-0905 from Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. It´s not quite correct, that it is the Paratype; although this was the first specimen which already led Robert Read to the assumption of a new species, I chose a plant I collected myself as Holo-/Paratype, because there is no collection data available for the Cathcart-plant.
Kind regards,
Jule

Verfasst: Dienstag, 22 April 2008, 18:31
von chanin
Hi Jule, Harry just send me more information about this plant :

"...Found it. We still have it, IDed by Bob Read in 1999 as F. rojasii. Harry E Luther..."

And later message, after I informed him your last post :

"...If the collection is cited by the author in the protologue, I believe its a paratype or in this case a clono-paratype. Harry E Luther..."

Best regards,

Chanin

PS My friend who gave me this plant said that it's quite easy to set seed, too.