Mezobromelia

Compound Inflorescence of Mezobromelia capituligera with red bracts.

The genus belongs to the subfamily of Mezobromelia Tillandsioideae within the family Bromeliaceae ( Bromeliaceae ), which includes the pineapple belongs. There are about nine species of the genus Mezobromelia. The genus was named in 1935 by Mezobromelia its describer Lyman Bradford Smith, after the German botanist Carl Christian Mez ( 1866-1944), who has probably done the most for the systematics of the Bromeliaceae.

Occurrence

Most Mezobromelia species are native to western South America in the Andes from Colombia to Peru. They thrive best in cloud forests at altitudes between 2000 and 3000 meters.

Description

Mezobromelia species are perennial herbaceous plants and grow as epiphytes mostly. They usually reach stature heights of 2 to 3 meters, rarely only 0.5 meters. All species are funnel bromeliads; their stem axis is compressed and the leaves are bunched together in rosettes. The leaves overlap in such a way that a funnel to collect water is produced. The parallel venation leaves are usually sword-shaped.

The often brightly colored inflorescences are long lasting and usually unbranched in many species. The hermaphrodite flowers are triple. The three sepals are symmetrical. The three to about two thirds of its length intergrown petals possess inside two scales at their base ( ligules ). The color of the petals is usually white or yellow. There are two circles, each with three fertile stamens present. There are scales available nectar. Three carpels are fused into a semi- inferior ovary.

Are formed capsule fruits. The seeds have a " parachute " similar to the dandelion. The existing only at the base of the seed Flight hair is straight and unfolded in the capsule fruit.

System

The genus belongs to the tribe Mezobromelia Tillandsieae in the subfamily Tillandsioideae.

Species

There are about nine Mezobromelia types:

  • Mezobromelia bicolor L.B.Sm.
  • Mezobromelia brownii H.Luther
  • Mezobromelia capituligera ( Griseb. ) J.R.Grant
  • Mezobromelia fulgens L.B.Sm.
  • Mezobromelia hospitalis ( L.B.Sm. ) J.R.Grant
  • Mezobromelia hutchisonii ( LBSm. ) W.Weber & LBSm.
  • Mezobromelia lyman - smithii Rauh & Barthlott
  • Mezobromelia magdalenae ( L.B.Sm. ) J.R.Grant
  • Mezobromelia pleiosticha ( Griseb. ) J.Utley & H.Luther

Swell

  • David H. Benzing: Bromeliaceae: Profile of an Adaptive Radiation, Cambridge University Press, 2000, ISBN 0-521-43031-3: Google Books - Online.
  • Michael HJ Barfuss, Rosabelle Samuel, Walter Till Death & F. Stuessy: Phylogenetic relationships in subfamily Tillandsioideae ( Bromeliaceae ) based on DNA sequence data from seven plastid regions, in American Journal of Botany, 92, 2005, pp. 337-351: Online.
  • Werner Rauh: Bromeliads - Tillandsias and other cultural worthy bromeliads, Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 1990, ISBN 3-8001-6371-3
  • Lyman Bradford Smith & Robert Jack Downs: Tillandsioideae in Flora Neotropica 14, 2, 1977, pp. 1364-1365.
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