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Newsletter 83 - February 2016

Spring Meeting on Sunday March 20th 2016

Dear Bromeliad-friends,

You are cordially invited to this Spring Meeting in the Conservatory of the Utrecht Botanical Gardens at Harvardlaan 10 in Utrecht. From 10 am on, there will be coffee and tea and an opportunity to greet one another once more, to catch up, to consult the available literature and to admire the plants on display.

At 11 am we shall hold a members meeting. The agenda, with some explanations of the points to be considered, is given below. At the end of this meeting we shall discuss the plants on show, followed by an auction of Bromeliad varieties donated both by bromeliad nurseries and by members. We hope that you will bring as many plants and cuttings for this as you can face bringing and parting with, for which many thanks in advance.

Fig. 1, 2 & 3 Tillandsia carminea, photos Eric Gouda, see Plant Portraits

After lunch, that will as usual be provided by the Gouda family, our chairman, Eric Gouda, will take us on a trip through Peru.

We hope to make it an enjoyable day with you all.

Regards,

on behalf of the Board,

Eric Gouda chairman

Agenda for the members' meeting on March 20th 2016.

1. Opening, announcements and correspondence.
2. Report on the Autumn Meeting on October 11th 2015. This was sent round to the members as Newsletter 82.
3. Financial report over 2015. Nomination of new audit committee.
4. Election of board members. According to the group's bylaws in relation to the composition of the Board and the nomination of board members, the members meeting in 2008 decided that board members should be elected for a period of three years with a member who resigns having the option to submit themselves for re-election an unlimited number of times. All the same, circulation of members can be very important for an active board! Our group has a three-member Board. Eric Gouda has been chairman since 2000, Piet van Beest treasurer since 2009. Both of them were re-elected in 2012 so this would run through 2015. Both have declared themselves willing to stand for re-election but other candidates would, of course, be welcome. In order to avoid that multiple board members resign at the same time, the following appointment terms are proposed: Eric Gouda, chairman, 2015 – 2018; Piet van Beest, treasurer, 2016 – 2019. The term of Roel Tomassen as secretary expires in 2017.

Fig. 4 & 5 Tillandsia latifolia, photo Eric Gouda, see Plant Portraits

5. Promoting the Bromeliad Contact Group. Current status. Read what was said about this in the report of the 2015 Autumn Meeting.
6. BCG participation in an Orchid exhibition. The Orchid Society North-Holland North ( Orchideeën-vereniging Noord-Holland Noord) is planning to mark its fiftieth anniversary by organizing an exhibition. This festive occasion is planned to take place around September/October 2016 at Intratuin (De Groot & Slot) in Heerhugowaard. BCG participation (a stand), as has been done in the past, would certainly be appreciated. The firm of Corn. Bak, Bromeliads, will also want to take part. We would like to discuss this possible participation with the members.
7. Day out 2016. Plans for the annual day out in the autumn are ripening. At the moment this agenda went to press there was insufficient insight into the choice between various options. Hopefully we shall be able to present a concrete plan to the meeting or at least provide a set of alternatives from which to choose.
8. It would be possible to organize the Autumn Meeting in Blijdorp, Rotterdam. This will need to be discussed.
9. Any other business and closure.

Fig. 6 & 7 Tillandsia aeranthos , photos Eric Gouda

Plant Portraits by Eric Gouda

Tillandsia carminea (fig. 1-3)

The Tillandsia carminea shown recently flowered here in the Botanical Gardens. It is one of the many forms of the T. stricta complex from Brazil and may end up as a variety of T. stricta. This plant came to us from the Heidelberg Botanical Garden in 1999 and has now flowered for the first time. The plants that I have had growing at home for more than 20 years have never flowered and have actually become steadily smaller. It is definitely not an easy species to grow and would probably like to be kept rather warmer. Anyhow, it has a beautifully coloured inflorescence and, with its stiff, claw-like rosette, an interesting growth-form.

Tillandsia latifolia (fig. 4 & 5)

Tillandsia latifolia, too, is very variable and several varieties have been described but not nearly enough to cover all the possible forms. The large type, whose bracts mostly have few scales, is called Tillandsia latifolia var. divaricata. It has rather softer long leaves. The type shown here we got as Tillandsia cauligera from Uwe Scharf. It came from Peru (Patioilca - Huaraz), collected by Rauh. It is the same size as the previously mentioned variety but has shorter leaves and a more robust inflorescence. This is an interesting group which certainly deserves some research.

Tillandsia aeranthos (fig. 6 & 7)

Talking about variability, the Tillandsia tenuifolia complex with its extensive geographical spread really beats them all. The Tillandsia aeranthos shown here could just as well be called Tillandsia tenuifolia. It is one of the many in-between types where the colour of the flowers varies from light to dark blue. The farther south in Brazil it is found, the darker. This plant, too, is mid way between the two species, it comes from Rio Grande do Sul (Santana) and flowers readily and spectacularly.

Billbergia 'Gouda`s Glory' (fig. 8, 9 & 10)

Finally, I want to introduce you to a new primary hybrid Billbergia 'Gouda`s Glory'. It is a cross between Billbergia distachia and Billbergia amoena 'small' and is distributed through the seed exchange. I only grow a few species at home but I did cross these two. Just for fun. I thought it would be entertaining to see what would come of it. Well, this plant doesn't differ very much from Billbergia distachia but the influence of the much smaller form of Billbergia amoena shows in the flower. The bracts are much redder and the projecting part of the petals is almost entirely blue, as it is in the latter species.

Fig. 8, 9 & 10 Billbergia `Gouda`s Glory` , photos Eric Gouda

Translation: MaryRose Hoare

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