Seen in Panama

[JoachimInB]

What is this? Seen in Panama, near road from David to Chiriquí Grande, elevation 1200 m. It's for sure not Guzmania donell-smithii. Any idea?

Cheers,
Joachim

[JoachimInB]

It's Guzmania rosea.

Joachim

[GerFi]

Hallo lieber Joachim,

na, Du Weltreisender, wann kommst du denn wieder zurück?

Hast Du den Timm im Gepäck mitgenommen?

Viele Grüße
GerFi

[JoachimInB]

Here is another beautiful finding from Panama, where I have no clue what it is. Location a little south of the Fortuna dam, elevation around 1200m. At first I thought it was a deformed Guz. musaica which grows in the same place. But there were many of these narrow tubes and they were clearly distinct. I tend to believe it may be a Werauhia, as from the distance I saw several old inflorescences suggesting this. Few flowers (around 5 or so) per inflorescence. Sorry I couldn't take pictures.



Bromeliads growing nearby included (at least) Guz. musaica, Guz. desautelsii, T. leiboldiana (or was it guatemalensis?) and a very nice Masdevallia orchid. Also several unidentified Racinaeas and Werauhias.

This is a really, really wet area! I quickly learned that a raincoat won't help at all and to appreciate the umbrella brought by my panamanian friends!

Any idea?

Cheers,
Joachim

[gonzer]

Joachim, the plant in the last Guz photo is excellent...I wish I knew the ID. What is the clump of small plants that actually look like small Tillandsias growing to the left? Some form of Club Moss?

[JoachimInB]

Meanwhile HEL identified the plant as Werauhia vittata. It is beautiful indeed! No idea if it could be grown in captivity, but it looks tender and fragile. Probably highly adapted to this very wet climate and hard to get over the winter on a windowsill in a cooler northern climate.

Cheers, Joachim

[JoachimInB]

Here is another one, growing in the same habitat as the above plants. But this one is rather widespread, growing in many places in Costa Rica as well, usually between elevations of 1000-2000 m.










I never got to a conclusion whether it is T. leiboldiana (perhaps var. guttata???) or T. guatemalensis. There are also said to intermediate forms, and this might be one? This is (for me) one of the most beautiful and desireable bromeliads. No idea, however, whether it is easy to grow, nor if it would retain its beautiful leaf coloration in cultivation.

Any help is again appreciated.
Joachim