Discovery of a Variegated Guzmania by Lee Moore in J. Brom. Soc. 47(2): 74. 1997
It has always been the aspiration of every bromeliad collector to find a variegated variety of an important species in the wild. After 39 years and over 250 expeditions to the tropical Americas, I have finally found one. Here is its story.
In August, 1996, I guided a small group of enthusiasts to the eastern slopes of Ecuador to the Amazon jungle on the Napo to the foothills further south to Tena and Puyo. Our expedition consisted of 6 members. Myself and my wife Chady, Dr. Sam and Hattie Lou Smith, Ed Gudat, and Andy Vissicchio.
During our 10 days of traveling through spectacular canyons on the eastern slopes of the Andes and a river trip on the Rio Napo, we found great varieties of heliconias, aroids, and bromeliads. The most significant variety found was a pink bracted Aechmea zebrina in a small area around Tena. We had thought that we had located another variety the Aechmea chantinii 'Pink Goddess' like the single variety that I had found in 1962 in Iquitos, Peru from which all 'Pink Goddess's come today. But after obtaining the plant in hand (not through binoculars), we realized that it was a pink form of Aechmea zebrina which was, nonetheless, an important find.
From Puyo we proceeded up the road to Banos. This road was closed to normal traffic because of new tunnels and wider roads being constructed. Even though certain points were posted with signs indicating "Peligro" (Danger), with skull and cross bones alerting the traveler of the danger of falling boulders and landslides, we decided to be adventurous and go anyway.
Along the way were myriads of spectacular large plants of Vriesea buseri (=Tillandsia ) with fresh towering red inflorescences growing along the road on the hillsides. Further along we began seeing large plants of Guzmania weberbaueri. There were a few dried inflorescences to be seen but then Andy Vissicchio let out a scream to stop. He had seen what the rest of us had missed...a very large plant with a fresh inflorescence of bright orange and yellow. It was quite a spectacular thing to see. It was only 30 feet up the steep muddy bank along the road but it was still difficult to get a foothold to reach it. I slipped and slid up the bank to reach the plant that he had found to pry it out of the ground with my machete. After throwing the plant down to him and awkwardly trying to return by hands holding on to loose rocks and with a slippery footing, I took another look upward into the empty area from which the plant had come. There it was! Voila, a variegated bromeliad that had been hidden behind the one I had just removed from its place. The chance of such a find is great indeed. Such luck I should have with the Florida Lotto!
Since this plant was found at about 4,500 ft. elevation, I brought it back to Nat Deleon with the hope the he could establish it in his cool house in Miami. Perhaps the genes of this plant may be passed into some of the hybrids that Nat is famous for making. Hopefully, if it survives, the pups may be propagated for collectors in the future if the variegation remains true.
Anyway, it is always a major accomplishment to find a variegated species in the wild and I am pleased that I finally found one after so many years. —SeeSmith & Downs 1977
