Billbergia rosea Beer
Literature references:
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Comments:
- amendments from J Brom Soc 33: 4-6. 1983 shown in brackets.
Comments
Since the treatment of Billbergia appeared in the Bromeliaceae of Venezuela for the Flora de Venezuela (1971) and in Flora Neotropica (1979), the senior author has been curious to become better acquainted with two of the species, namely B. rosea and B. venezuelana. Under the latter name is commonly grown in gardens of homesteads and nurseries of Caracas and other centers of population of Venezuela as an ornamental, robust billbergia with stiffly erect, tubular, bronzy and gray mottled leaves with large, drooping inflorescences graced with numerous, showy, roseate bracts.
What is puzzling is the fact that such a beautiful and conspicuous plant, passing under the binomial of B. venezuelana, is practically non-existent in herbaria and almost unknown in a wild state. The type specimen of this species was collected in 1920 by Pittier and described by Mez a year later (1921). The specimens of Pittier were obtained from a forested area of San Juan in the state of Carabobo, northcentral Venezuela. When the Bromeliaceae for the Flora de Venezuela was published, only the type collection was known. In the later treatment in the Flora Neotropica one additional collection was cited from Rancho Grande in the state of Aragua, not far from the type locality. A similar situation is encountered in the case of B. rosea hortus ex Beer. This latter species, described in 1856 from a plant originating from the garden collection of Beer in Trinidad, was cited in the Flora de Venezuela and the Flora Neotropica from two Venezuelan localities, one, a collection from Caracas by Pittier, the other from Rancho Grande by Beebe. A search through the Herbario Nacional (VEN) at Caracas failed to reveal any collection of B. rosea,. the Pittier specimen was deposited in the United States National Herbarium (US), while the Beebe specimen was deposited there also.
Since both taxa were rarely known, although both cited as from Rancho Grande, a study was undertaken to determine more details concerning their habitat requirements, geographical distribution, and taxonomic differences. A report had reached the senior author previously that wild plants of one of these species occurred in an area of tierra caliente near the coastal region of Barlovento of northeastern Venezuela. Mr. Francisco Oliva, a local bromeliad enthusiast, was able to verify this report and recently obtained living and herbarium collections from an area west of Panaquire of the Barlovento area in the state of Miranda, where the plants were growing spontaneously as epiphytes on erythrina trees in a cocoa plantation. At the same time, flowering material was gathered from plants grown in the Jardin Botanico of Caracas.
A study of this living and herbarium material, together with that of the isotype specimen of B. venezuelana Mez at VEN (Pittier 8932), was made and checked in detail against the criteria used to distinguish B. rosea and B. venezuelana. The differences emphasized to separate these two taxa in the treatment in the Flora de Venezuela (1971) state the following: "Sepalos angostamente triangulares, desiguales. Bracteas floriferas 4 mm largo" (Sepals narrowly triangular, unequal. Floral bracts 4 mm long) for B. rosea, as contrasted with "Sepalos elipticos, iguales. Bracteas floriferas inferiores superando los sepalos" (Sepals elliptical, equal. Lower floral bracts exceeding the sepals) for B. venezuelana. In the Flora Neotropica (p. 1977) the two species are keyed out thus: "Sepals narrowly acute, 11-40 mm long, mostly twice as long as wide" to include B. rosea, and "Sepals broadly acute, rounded, truncate, or retuse, distinctly less than twice as broad as long, 7-17 mm long" for B. venezuelana. In the latter work the sepals of B. rosea are stated to be "12,10, and 10 mm long respectively" (p. 2018), while those of B. venezuelana are given as up "to 10 mm long". Nevertheless, an examination of the isotype of B. venezuelana at VEN shows sepals with measurements of 12-13 mm long and 5.5-6 mm wide, with acuminate or slender tips, and more than twice as long as to slightly less than twice as long as wide. Measurements taken from the living specimens grown at the Jardin Botanico (Steyermark & Oliva 126484) likewise reveal variations from slightly less than to more than twice as long as wide, lengths varying from 10-13 mm, and slightly unequal sepals which are broadly triangular-ovate and acuminate. Thus, the sepal measurements of living plants, as well as those of the VEN isotype of B. venezuelana, intergrade with the sepal measurements given under B. rosea. Moreover, the shape of the sepals found on the isotype of B. venezuelana at VEN and in living material grown as B. venezuelana at the Jardin Botanico at Caracas are broadly triangular or ovate-lanceolate-triangular, rather than "elliptical" as stated in the description (p. 2024, Flora Neotropica).
It should be noted here that upon drying the specimens grown at the Jardin Botanico, some of the sepals from flowers of the upper portion of the inflorescence are narrowly triangular (as indicated for B. rosea), whereas on other flowers, located lower down on the rachis, the sepals are more broadly triangular to ovatetriangular, and vary in length from 10-13 mm. It should also be noted that the illustration in Flora Neotropica (Fig. 709-B) and in the Flora de Venezuela (Fig. 24B) for the sepal of B. venezuelana is of a broadly triangular or ovate-triangular shape, rather than "elliptic" as described. From the evidence obtained on the drying of living material, which shows differences in the narrowness of the sepal, it is likely that changes due to pressure upon drying might have some effect on the relative shape or width of this part of the flower, which is of a thinner texture than the fleshy ovary or fruit.
Also, although many bromeliad species occur in the same locality, the fact that both B. rosea and B. venezuelana, distinguished by characters of questionable stability, are cited as having been collected from the same locality of Rancho Grande of Pittier National Park, might lead one to suspect that only one, instead of two species, is involved. From the present evidence on hand, it would appear that B. rosea and B. venezuelana are conspecific. Thus, the name B. rosea hortus ex Beer, published in 1856, must be used as the older name, and B. venezuelana Mez is treated as a synonym. —See Smith & Downs 1979
- Since the treatment of Billbergia appeared in the Bromeliaceae of Venezuela for the Flora de Venezuela (1971) and in Flora Neotropica (1979), the senior author has been curious to become better acquainted with two of the species, namely B. rosea and B. venezuelana. Under the latter name is commonly grown in gardens of homesteads and nurseries of Caracas and other centers of population of Venezuela as an ornamental, robust billbergia with stiffly erect, tubular, bronzy and gray mottled leaves with large, drooping inflorescences graced with numerous, showy, roseate bracts.
What is puzzling is the fact that such a beautiful and conspicuous plant, passing under the binomial of B. venezuelana, is practically non-existent in herbaria and almost unknown in a wild state. The type specimen of this species was collected in 1920 by Pittier and described by Mez a year later (1921). The specimens of Pittier were obtained from a forested area of San Juan in the state of Carabobo, northcentral Venezuela. When the Bromeliaceae for the Flora de Venezuela was published, only the type collection was known. In the later treatment in the Flora Neotropica one additional collection was cited from Rancho Grande in the state of Aragua, not far from the type locality. A similar situation is encountered in the case of B. rosea hortus ex Beer. This latter species, described in 1856 from a plant originating from the garden collection of Beer in Trinidad, was cited in the Flora de Venezuela and the Flora Neotropica from two Venezuelan localities, one, a collection from Caracas by Pittier, the other from Rancho Grande by Beebe. A search through the Herbario Nacional (VEN) at Caracas failed to reveal any collection of B. rosea,. the Pittier specimen was deposited in the United States National Herbarium (US), while the Beebe specimen was deposited there also.
Since both taxa were rarely known, although both cited as from Rancho Grande, a study was undertaken to determine more details concerning their habitat requirements, geographical distribution, and taxonomic differences. A report had reached the senior author previously that wild plants of one of these species occurred in an area of tierra caliente near the coastal region of Barlovento of northeastern Venezuela. Mr. Francisco Oliva, a local bromeliad enthusiast, was able to verify this report and recently obtained living and herbarium collections from an area west of Panaquire of the Barlovento area in the state of Miranda, where the plants were growing spontaneously as epiphytes on erythrina trees in a cocoa plantation. At the same time, flowering material was gathered from plants grown in the Jardin Botanico of Caracas.
A study of this living and herbarium material, together with that of the isotype specimen of B. venezuelana Mez at VEN (Pittier 8932), was made and checked in detail against the criteria used to distinguish B. rosea and B. venezuelana. The differences emphasized to separate these two taxa in the treatment in the Flora de Venezuela (1971) state the following: "Sepalos angostamente triangulares, desiguales. Bracteas floriferas 4 mm largo" (Sepals narrowly triangular, unequal. Floral bracts 4 mm long) for B. rosea, as contrasted with "Sepalos elipticos, iguales. Bracteas floriferas inferiores superando los sepalos" (Sepals elliptical, equal. Lower floral bracts exceeding the sepals) for B. venezuelana. In the Flora Neotropica (p. 1977) the two species are keyed out thus: "Sepals narrowly acute, 11-40 mm long, mostly twice as long as wide" to include B. rosea, and "Sepals broadly acute, rounded, truncate, or retuse, distinctly less than twice as broad as long, 7-17 mm long" for B. venezuelana. In the latter work the sepals of B. rosea are stated to be "12,10, and 10 mm long respectively" (p. 2018), while those of B. venezuelana are given as up "to 10 mm long". Nevertheless, an examination of the isotype of B. venezuelana at VEN shows sepals with measurements of 12-13 mm long and 5.5-6 mm wide, with acuminate or slender tips, and more than twice as long as to slightly less than twice as long as wide. Measurements taken from the living specimens grown at the Jardin Botanico (Steyermark & Oliva 126484) likewise reveal variations from slightly less than to more than twice as long as wide, lengths varying from 10-13 mm, and slightly unequal sepals which are broadly triangular-ovate and acuminate. Thus, the sepal measurements of living plants, as well as those of the VEN isotype of B. venezuelana, intergrade with the sepal measurements given under B. rosea. Moreover, the shape of the sepals found on the isotype of B. venezuelana at VEN and in living material grown as B. venezuelana at the Jardin Botanico at Caracas are broadly triangular or ovate-lanceolate-triangular, rather than "elliptical" as stated in the description (p. 2024, Flora Neotropica).
It should be noted here that upon drying the specimens grown at the Jardin Botanico, some of the sepals from flowers of the upper portion of the inflorescence are narrowly triangular (as indicated for B. rosea), whereas on other flowers, located lower down on the rachis, the sepals are more broadly triangular to ovatetriangular, and vary in length from 10-13 mm. It should also be noted that the illustration in Flora Neotropica (Fig. 709-B) and in the Flora de Venezuela (Fig. 24B) for the sepal of B. venezuelana is of a broadly triangular or ovate-triangular shape, rather than "elliptic" as described. From the evidence obtained on the drying of living material, which shows differences in the narrowness of the sepal, it is likely that changes due to pressure upon drying might have some effect on the relative shape or width of this part of the flower, which is of a thinner texture than the fleshy ovary or fruit.
Also, although many bromeliad species occur in the same locality, the fact that both B. rosea and B. venezuelana, distinguished by characters of questionable stability, are cited as having been collected from the same locality of Rancho Grande of Pittier National Park, might lead one to suspect that only one, instead of two species, is involved. From the present evidence on hand, it would appear that B. rosea and B. venezuelana are conspecific. Thus, the name B. rosea hortus ex Beer, published in 1856, must be used as the older name, and B. venezuelana Mez is treated as a synonym. —See Steyermark & Smith 1983b p. 33(1): 4-6,12