Report on Aechmea sphaerocephala by Georg Zizka; excerpts translated and with comments by H. Ulrich Baensch in J. Brom. Soc. 41(6): 257-9 1991
In May of last year [1989] a bromeliad of the Aechmea subgenus Chevaliera began to bloom at the Frankfurt Palmengarten. This plant is remarkable not only because of its size but also because of its especially long flowering period. We received the plant through a seed exchange with the Botanical Garden of Rio de Janeiro in 1972. The species name refers to the form of its immature inflorescence: the Greek words sphaira. meaning ball, and kephale, meaning head.
Aechmea sphaerocephala is a stemless bromeliad with a narrow funnelshaped rosette; its numerous leaves are up to 300 cm long, 10 cm wide, and approximately 3.5 mm thick. The scape has a clearly developed sterile part. At 60 cm in length and 2.5 cm in diameter, the scape is considerably shorter than the leaves. The scape bracts are erect, red to pink, tapering to a point, and the margins are slightly serrulate. The cone-like inflorescence is compact and carries a number of sessile flowers. At the end of the flowering phase, the inflorescence of our plant, which was at first spherical and then cylindrical, reached a length of 21 cm and a diameter of 11 cm
The extraordinarily long-flowering duration is an exception, even among the bromeliads. After 15 months, the blooming period is not yet completed. A few months ago, two additional inflorescences developed from side shoots; the interesting inflorescence of the plant will delight us for many more months to come.
According to Smith and Downs ( 1979), species of the subgenus Chevaliera occur in Central America, the northern part of South America and eastern Brazil. The group is distinguished by characteristics of its flowers and inflorescences. The inflorescence is mostly simple and cone-shaped, bracts are woody, appendages on the inner side of the petals are missing or are reduced. Aechmea sphaerocephala is native to southeastern Brazil.
[Dr. Baensch's comments follow:]
The article also shows a full-page photograph of the herbarium specimen from the Museum of Natural History in Paris, as well as a scanning electron micrograph of the trichomes.
The last time the reviewer saw the bromeliad collection of the Palmengarten was in September 1990. At that time, the Aechmea sphaerocephala was still a highlight. After 17 months in bloom, the inflorescence was impressive, still young and fresh.
The pictures taken in my collection at Nassau show a younger A. sphaerocephala to present the habit of this interesting species. The plant, cultivated from a pup, is four years old, 80 cm high. The species is very slow growing. The sturdy, handsome rosette consists of approximately 25 stiff leaves with a strong, sharp spine at the apex. It needs a porous, well-aerated medium, otherwise heart rot may occur.
Under the bright sun in the Bahamas and shade given by a tree only for some hours at midday, the appearance of the plant is much sturdier and the leaves of a fully grown plant will not exceed much more than 100 cm.
Aechmea sphaerocephala was reported in Journal, volume 24, page 184 ( 1974) but was not correctly identified. The photograph in that article most likely shows a large specimen of Aechmea angustifolia.
The Palmengarten of the city of Frankfurt/ Main with its 50 acres was founded in 1870. It is one of the most significant botanical gardens in Europe. The extensive bromeliad collection with more than 1,000 species of 42 genera is cultivated in various show houses including the new bromeliarium, in which the plants are shown as in nature. The numerous tillandsias are housed in large glass cabinets where you can see but not touch them.
Dr. G. Zizka, curator, is responsible for the bromeliads as well as the distinguished succulent collection and the insectivores.
Dr. Werner Rauh, in a separate letter, commented that the cover picture of Journal, number 4, 1984, was incorrectly identified as A. sphaerocephala. His opinion is that the picture shows A. saxicola, or A. depressa, or A. multiflora. (Reference to the various descriptions suggests that it is A. saxicola - Butcher )
In May of last year [1989] a bromeliad of the Aechmea subgenus Chevaliera began to bloom at the Frankfurt Palmengarten. This plant is remarkable not only because of its size but also because of its especially long flowering period. We received the plant through a seed exchange with the Botanical Garden of Rio de Janeiro in 1972. The species name refers to the form of its immature inflorescence: the Greek words sphaira. meaning ball, and kephale, meaning head.
Aechmea sphaerocephala is a stemless bromeliad with a narrow, funnelshaped rosette; its numerous leaves are up to 300 cm long, 10 cm wide, and approximately 3.5 mm thick. The scape has a clearly developed sterile part. At 60 cm in length and 2.5 cm in diameter, the scape is considerably shorter than the leaves. The scape bracts are erect, red to pink, tapering to a point, and the margins are slightly serrulate. The cone-like inflorescence is compact and carries a number of sessile flowers. At the end of the flowering phase, the inflorescence of our plant, which was at first spherical and then cylindrical, reached a length of 21 cm and a diameter of 11 cm.
The extraordinarily long-flowering duration is an exception, even among the bromeliads. After 15 months, the blooming period is not yet completed. A few months ago, two additional inflorescences developed from side shoots; the interesting inflorescence of the plant will delight us for many more months to come.
According to Smith and Downs ( 1979), species of the subgenus Chevaliera occur in Central America, the northern part of South America and eastern Brazil. The group is distinguished by characteristics of its flowers and inflorescences. The inflorescence is mostly simple and cone-shaped, bracts are woody, appendages on the inner side of the petals are missing or are reduced. Aechmea sphaerocephala is native to southeastern Brazil.
[Dr. Baensch's comments follow:]
The article also shows a full-page photograph of the herbarium specimen from the Museum of Natural History in Paris, as well as a scanning electron micrograph of the trichomes.
The last time the reviewer saw the bromeliad collection of the Palmengarten was in September 1990. At that time, the Aechmea sphaerocephala was still a highlight. After 17 months in bloom, the inflorescence was impressive, still young and fresh.
The pictures taken in my collection at Nassau show a younger A. sphaerocephala to present the habit of this interesting species. The plant, cultivated from a pup, is four years old, 80 cm high. The species is very slow growing. The sturdy, handsome rosette consists of approximately 25 stiff leaves with a strong, sharp spine at the apex. It needs a porous, well-aerated medium, otherwise heart rot may occur.
Under the bright sun in the Bahamas and shade given by a tree only for some hours at midday, the appearance of the plant is much sturdier and the leaves of a fully grown plant will not exceed much more than l00 cm.
Aechmea sphaerocephala was reported in Journal, volume 24, page 184 ( 1974) but was not correctly identified. The photograph in that article most likely shows a large specimen of Aechmea angustifolia.
The Palmengarten of the city of Frankfurt/ Main with its 50 acres was founded in 1870. It is one of the most significant botanical gardens in Europe. The extensive bromeliad collection with more than 1,000 species of 42 genera is cultivated in various show houses including the new bromeliarium, in which the plants are shown as in nature. The numerous tillandsias are housed in large glass cabinets where you can see but not touch them.
Dr. G. Zizka, curator, is responsible for the bromeliads as well as the distinguished succulent collection and the insectivores.
Dr. Werner Rauh, in a separate letter, commented that the cover picture of Journal, number 4, 1984, was incorrectly identified as A. sphaerocephala. His opinion is that the picture shows A. saxicola, or A. depressa, or A. multiflora. (Reference to the various descriptions suggests that it is A. multiflora – Butcher ) —SeeZizka 1991p. 41(6): 257-259
