Canistrum aurantiacum E.Morren

Literature references:

Baensch & Baensch 1994: 96 Belg. Hortic.: 23:257 Bromelia: 4(1):24 Bromtravels (Web) BSA (Web) FCBS (Web): Golinski 1997 J. Bromeliad Soc.: 24:81 38:30 Leme 1997a: 6,18,21,23,96h,100d Mee 1992: 55 Morren Icons: kew 10-298*: kew 10-299*: LG-1* Oliva-Esteve 2000a: 119 Rauh 1981, 1990: Abb. 300 , 301 Rev. Hortic.: 49:247d Siqueira & Leme 2006: 57,165,174,262,409h

Smith & Downs 1979: 1716,1718: 1716*: 1716* Wien Herbarium, Inst

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Comments:

• Ecology and Distribution of Canistrum aurantiacum by Jose Aves de Siqueira Filho in Bromelia 4(1): March 1997
  
  Canistrum aurantiacum E. Morren is either an epiphyte or, more commonly, a terrestrial plant of the coastal Atlantic forest understory where mean relative humidity is over 80%. It also ranges to the enclaves of moist montane forests (brejos) within the semiarid region of Pernambuco state. Here, the altitude gradient goes from sea level to 900 m (Brejo dos Cavalos Reserve, 8° 22' 00"S and 36° 02' 00"W, in Caruaru municipality)
  
  A survey of herbaria in the states of Paraiba (EAN; JPB), Pernambuco (UFP; HST; IPA; PEUFR) and Alagoas (MAC; MUFAL) revealed that this species occurs from Goiana municipality, in Pernambuco, near the border with Paraiba, to Alagoas, in Boca da Mata municipality. This distribution favors the influence of natural isolation barriers (geographic and edaphic) that lead to a certain degree of morphological variation in the material examined. It is very possible that an intermediate taxon exists. In Pernambuco, new records of the species were discovered for Serra do Urubu, between Maraial and Lagoa dos Gatos municipalities, and Saltinho Biological Reserve, in the recently emancipated Tamandare municipality.
  The species is well represented in protected areas administered by the Brazilian environmental agency - IBAMA (Saltinho Biological Reserve - 8°43'00"S and 35°12'00"W, ca. 100 m altitude) - and by the state government (Dois Irmaos Ecological Reserve - 8°7'30"S and 34°52'30"W, ca. 100 m altitude). These areas are considered to be springwater protection sites. In the Dois Irmaos Ecological Reserve, where most of the observations were made, C. aurantiacum is almost entirely terrestrial, forming dense populations made up of some 100 plants in a 50-square-meter area. The area is shaded by tall trees (up to 20 m tall), indicating that this is a shade-loving species. The soil is mostly sandy and is covered by a litter layer (decomposing leaves) about 15 cm thick. The rough topography is made up of steep mountain slopes.
  Flowering begins in December and extends to mid-February, which characterizes this strategy as the "regularly available" type (Gentry, 1974). Peak flowering takes place in the latter half of January when up to 11 flowers per plant may open during one day. This is the summer rain period in northeastern Brazil when water accumulates in the C. aurantiacum inflorescence.
  An analysis of 31 plants at various flowering stages showed that small variations do occur in the flowers. The flowers are tubular and vary from 4-5 cm in length within the same inflorescence, whose diameter varies from 14-22 cm. The scape is 42-57 cm long. The flowers begin to open at the center of the inflorescence and progress toward the periphery. They last only one day and upon withering, form a "black carpet" on the inflorescence, which gives it a rather putrefied appearance, especially on rainy days.
  It is important to note that the number of plants in flower, as compared to those in a vegetative state, is 1:12 for a population of 100 plants sampled, reflecting a high degree of vegetative propagation to the detriment of sexual propagation which depends on the pollinating agent.
  The ornithophilous syndrome (Faegri & van der Pijl,1979) present in C. aurantiacum is characterized by odorless flowers, vivid-red involucral and scape bracts and golden-yellow corolla . Nectar volume is from 23-40µ1 with a concentration of 26-31%. Anthesis begins at dawn, around 5:30 a.m. and the flowers close in the early afternoon. But the pollinators stop visiting the flowers in the morning the nectar supply runs out.
  Ants are often found on the flowers of C. aurantiacum, probably in a protective capacity. Mites of the family Ascidae are also found on the flowers, whose pollen is part of their diet. These organisms may accidentally transfer pollen to the flower stigma. Small beetles of the family Curculionideae may behave in the same way.
  Small bees of the genus Partamona (0.3 cm long) collect only pollen on the forefeet, then transfer it to the corbicula (pollen baskets) on the hind-feet, thus helping to pollinate C. aurantiacum.
  The hummingbird, Phaetornis ruber, the main pollinator of this species, is seen at regular 30-to-60 minute intervals, typical of the trapline visiting pattern (Janzen, 1971).
  Ornithophily predominates in the Bromeliaceae and has been diagnosed as a parallel evolution mechanism between bromeliads and hummingbirds (Sick, 1984). Canistrum aurantiacum is a typical example of this close relationship, where the absence of one of the elements may affect the survival of the other, causing irreparable damage to rich, fragile ecosystems such as those of the Atlantic forest. —See Bromelia
• DISCUSSION
  Although the type of C. aurantiacum and the respective clonotypes are well preserved at the University of Liege Botanical Garden, Belgium, none of the material deposited at this institution , including these type specimens, is available on international loan due to the size of the exsiccata, which are much larger then standard herbarium sheets. This ruled out direct examination of the specimens , but, thanks to the help of the American bromeliad specialist, Jason R. Grant, who visited this institution and provided me with photographs of the exsiccata, I could identify the holotype of the species by the inscription on the label. According to the protologue, it is the specimen that flowered in 1872.
  C. aurantiacum is not hard to identify. The species is very characteristic, well-represented in cultivation, and is depicted to perfection in the original sketch by E. Morren which is reproduced here (page 21). More robust specimens than that which is shown in the drawing flowered in 1872 (holotype), 1873 and 1874, and provide the basis for the original description of the species.
  Canistrum aurantiacum is the largest species in the genus, and also has the stoutest, most compact inflorescence. This species is distinguished by its polyporate pollen versus the biporate pollen (where known) of the other species (Halbritter & Till, unpubl. data), which suggests that taxonomically, C. aurantiacum lies near the genus Aechmea and shows that Baker's (1879) decision to assign it to Aechmea was not completely erroneous.
  C. camacaense is the species closest to C. aurantiacum mainly by its leaf blades which are not narrowed towards the base, its much longer floral scape, larger flowers, and wider sepals with a much smaller apical mucro.
  This species is endemic to Alagoas and Pernambuco states. The available specimens indicate that C. aurantiacum survives in remnant patches of the practically extinct Atlantic Forest of north eastern Brazil, and also in the high altitude wet forests- enclaves lying in the heart of the semi arid North east. It is found from sea level to an altitude of 900m, forming dense populations on he shady forest floor (Siqueira Filho, 1997). It is also found growing on the lower half of tree trunks as an epiphyte. It is preserved in the Pedra Talhada State Park, in Alagoas, and the Saltinho Biological Reserve, Tamandare municipality, aand the Dios Irmaos Ecological Reserve, in Recife, Pernambuco, where most collections have been made. —See Leme 1997a