Racinaea
Racinaea fraseri, Habit with inflorescence.
The genus belongs to the subfamily of Racinaea Tillandsioideae within the family Bromeliaceae ( Bromeliaceae ). There are only about 60 species of this genus. They are native to the Neotropics. The genus name honors Racine Foster (1910-1991), wife of the American bromeliads collector and co-founder of the Bromeliad Society International, Mulford Bateman Foster.
Description
Racinaea species are evergreen, perennial, herbaceous plants and mostly epiphytes or Lithophytes, so they grow on trees or rocks. There are usually funnel bromeliads, but they can also have many other forms of growth, which is also known in the Tillandsia. The shoot axis is usually compressed. The leaves are parallel-veined and entire. Dandruff can be distributed on the leaves clearly visible or they are only on the leaf surface within the leaf hopper everywhere.
The plants take many years until the formation of the inflorescence. These may be straight or branched. The bracts of the inflorescences are long lasting in many species. The hermaphrodite flowers are triple double perianth. The three free sepals are asymmetric, they are getting wider towards its tip ( key differentiator to Tillandsia there they are symmetrical and sharp); they are more than 12 mm long. The three free petals have no scales at their base ( ligules ); which distinguishes them from those of the genera Mezobromelia and Vriesea. There are two circuits, each with three stamens present which are shorter than the petals. The pollen is orange. Three carpels are fused into a semi- inferior ovary. The stylus is short.
Are formed capsule fruits. The seeds have a " parachute ", similar to the dandelion. Flight hairs are usually just at the base of the seeds and are straight and not folded in the capsule fruit - unlike Catopsis.
System
The systematics of the subfamily Tillandsioideae is subject because of the demarcation problem of genera and recent phylogenetic studies constant changes. Only in 1993 the genus Tillandsia by Michael A. Spencer & Lyman Bradford Smith in two genera: Tillandsia and Racinaea been divided. All species of the former subgenus within the genus Tillandsia Pseudocatopsis Baker are now the separate genus Racinaea dar. In private and botanical collections this species are mostly still under its old name to find as Tillandsia. The genus Racinaea belongs together with Guzmania, Mezobromelia, Tillandsia and the new genus Viridantha to Tribus Tillandsieae.
Species
There are about 62 species of the genus Racinaea:
- Racinaea adpressa ( André ) J.R.Grant: Racinaea adpressa ( André ) JRGrant var adpressa
- Racinaea adpressa ssp. orthiantha ( Standley ) J.R.Grant
- Racinaea multiflora ( Bentham ) MASpencer & LBSm. var multiflora
- Racinaea multiflora var decipiens ( André ) MASpencer & LBSm.
- Racinaea multiflora var tomensis ( LBSm. ) MASpencer & LBSm.
- Racinaea parviflora ( Ruiz & Pavón ) MASpencer & LBSm. var parviflora
- Racinaea parviflora var expansa ( LBSm. ) MASpencer & LBSm.
- Racinaea pattersoniae Manzanares & W.Till
- Racinaea pectinata ( André ) M.A.Spencer & L.B.Sm.
- Racinaea pendulispica ( Mez ) & M.A.Spencer L.B.Sm.
- Racinaea penlandii ( LBSm. ) MASpencer & LBSm. : Racinaea penlandii ( LBSm. ) MASpencer & LBSm. var penlandii
- Racinaea penlandii var pedunculata ( LBSm. ) MASpencer & LBSm.
- Racinaea spiculosa ( Grisebach ) MASpencer & LBSm. var spiculosa
- Racinaea spiculosa var ustulata ( Reitz ) MASpencer & LBSm.
- Racinaea spiculosa micrantha var ( Baker) MASpencer & LBSm.
- Racinaea spiculosa var stenoglossa ( LBSm. ) MASpencer & LBSm.
- Racinaea tetrantha ( Ruiz & Pavón ) MASpencer & LBSm. var tetrantha
- Racinaea tetrantha var aurantiaca ( Grisebach ) MASpencer & LBSm.
- Racinaea tetrantha var densiflora ( André ) MASpencer & LBSm.
- Racinaea tetrantha var scarlatina ( André ) MASpencer & LBSm.
- Racinaea tetrantha var miniata ( André ) MASpencer & LBSm.
- Racinaea tetrantha var ramosior ( LBSm. ) MASpencer & LBSm.
- Racinaea tetrantha caribaea var ( LBSm. ) MASpencer & LBSm.