Lamprococcus vallerandii Carrière
Literature references:
Comments:
- This species, very rare and unpublished, is part of the collections of Mr. Carcenac, a great amateur of plants and owner at Bougival, that was sent at the beginning of 1876 by Mr Baraquin, horticulturist - merchant from Para, who discovered it growing in the hot regions of Rio Para, in Brazil. It is a happy addition for the hot greenhouses, that is going to increase the number of the ornamental Bromeliads. It prompted us to look at many of all known species that could constitute a section maybe in the Lamprococcus genus, or it seemed should be referred there. [Lamprococcus – Inflorescence in panicle more or less reddish; scape bracts coloured; calyx almost fleshy, tripartite, with oval divisions, converging; petals 3, erect, scaled at the base, perigynous, as well as the external stamens; opposite stamens adnate to the oval petals, lanceolate towards the tip, in large numbers. –Ed Morren, Belgique hortecole, 1861, p.305].
This species also has the immense advantage of being very ornamental for a long time by continuing even after its real flowering has passed, which must be because of the interior part of the flowers being very fleshy, preserves its brightness for a very long time, and that also this beautiful coloration applies a long time before anthesis; its very flowering, instead of being ephemeral, like that with many Bromeliads, lasts a very long time; so, during nearly two months, some flowers are successively open. As for the ornamental effect of inflorescence, it is almost as brilliant that at the beginning of flowering. It is therefore for more than four months that the inflorescence of Lamprococcus Vallerandi will preserve its beauty, justifying what we said and let us repeat; that it is a species of the first merit.
