Vriesea

Flaming Sword ( Vriesea splendens)

The plant genus Vriesea belongs to the family Bromeliaceae ( Bromeliaceae ), which includes the pineapple belongs. There are about 300 species of this genus. The most popular as an ornamental plant species is Vriesea splendens ( = the " Flaming Sword ").

Description

Vriesea species are perennial herbaceous plants and usually grow as epiphytes. Most are funnel bromeliads; their stem axis is thus compressed and the leaves are bunched together in rosettes. The leaves overlap, so that a funnel to collect water is produced. The parallel venation leaves are usually sword-shaped.

The often brightly colored bracts of the inflorescences are long lasting in many species. Inflorescences may be branched or unbranched. The hermaphrodite flowers are triple.

Are formed capsule fruits. The seeds have a " parachute " similar to the dandelion.

Origin

The genus Vriesea originates from the tropical rain forests of Latin America, the main distribution area is located in Brazil. Some species and their varieties are ornamentals and well suited as houseplants.

System

The genus was named in 1843 by its first describer, John Lindley, after the Dutch botanist Hendrik Willem de Vriese ( 1806-1862 ). The systematics of the genus Vriesea, is subject to constant changes because of the division problem for the closely related genus Tillandsia and recent phylogenetic studies, according to which the original genus Vriesea in three genera ( Vriesea Alcantarea and Werauhia ) was divided. In non-flowering state, the two genus Tillandsia and Vriesea are mostly indistinguishable from each other. The main difference between these two genera is in small scales, the so-called " ligules ", at the base of the petals ( petals ), which can be seen clearly only fresh flowers of dried herbarium specimens are difficult to prove.

Species, subspecies and varieties

There are about 300 species of Vriesea by Luther, 2008:

• Vriesea agostiniana E.Pereira
• Vriesea alta ( Baker) Mez ex E.Morren
• Vriesea altimontana E.Pereira & Martinelli
• Vriesea altodaserrae L.B.Smith
• Vriesea altomacaensis A.Costa
• Vriesea amadoi Leme
• Vriesea amethystina E.Morren
• Vriesea andreettae roughness
• Vriesea appariciana E.Pereira & Reitz
• Vriesea appenii roughness
• Vriesea arachnoidea A.Costa
• Vriesea arpocalyx ( André ) L.B.Smith
• Vriesea atra Mez: Vriesea atra atra var Mez
• Vriesea atra var variegata Martinelli & Leme

• Vriesea barclayana ( Baker) LBSmith var barclayana
• Vriesea barclayana var minor Gilmartin

• Vriesea billbergioides E.Morren ex Mez var billbergioides
• Vriesea billbergioides var subnuda L.B.Smith
• Vriesea billbergioides var ampla L.B.Smith

• Vriesea bleherae format atroviolaceifolia Röth & W.Weber

• Vriesea carinata carinata var Wawra
• Vriesea carinata var flavominiata Leme
• Vriesea carinata var mangaratibensis Leme & A.Costa

• Vriesea chrysostachys E.Morren var chrysostachys
• Vriesea chrysostachys var stenophylla L.B.Smith

• Vriesea ensiformis ( Vellozo ) Beer var ensiformis
• Vriesea ensiformis var striata Seidel
• Vriesea ensiformis var bicolor L.B.Smith

• Vriesea erythrodactylon ( E.Morren ) E.Morren ex Mez var erythrodactylon ( E.Morren ) E.Morren ex Mez
• Vriesea erythrodactylon var rubropunctata E.Pereira & Moutinho

• Vriesea fosteriana L.B.Smith var fosteriana
• Vriesea fosteriana var 're eliana Reitz

• Vriesea friburgensis Mez var friburgensis
• Vriesea friburgensis paludosa var ( LBSmith ) LBSmith
• Vriesea friburgensis var tucumanensis ( Mez ) LBSmith

• Vriesea gigantea gigantea var Gaudichaud
• Vriesea gigantea var 're eliana Röth

• Vriesea gradata ( Baker) Mez var gradata
• Vriesea gradata bicolor var E.Pereira & IAPenna

• Vriesea guttata guttata var Linden & André
• Vriesea guttata var striata Reitz
• Vriesea guttata var eguttata Reitz

• Vriesea hieroglyphica ( Carrière ) E.Morren: Vriesea hieroglyphica ( Carrière ) E.Morren var hieroglyphica
• Vriesea hieroglyphica var zebrina Ruschi

• Vriesea incurvata Gaudichaud var incurvata
• Vriesea incurvata var albina T.Strehl

• Vriesea joyae E.Pereira & I.A.Penna var joyae
• Vriesea joyae parvula var E.Pereira & I.A.Penna

• Vriesea malzinei E.Morren var malzinei
• Vriesea malzinei var disticha L.B.Smith

• Vriesea olmosana L.B.Smith var olmosana
• Vriesea olmosana var pacha mamae roughness

• Vriesea ospinae H.Luther var ospinae
• Vriesea ospinae var gruberi H.Luther

• Vriesea pereziana ( André ) LBSmith var pereziana

• Vriesea platynema Gaudichaud var platynema
• Vriesea platynema var flava Reitz
• Vriesea platynema var libonii Mez
• Vriesea platynema var rosea ( hortus ) Mez
• Vriesea platynema var striata ( Witt Mack ) Witt Mack
• Vriesea platynema var variegata ( Guillon ) Reitz
• Vriesea platynema var wrightii ( LBSmith ) LBSmith

• Vriesea poenulata ( Baker) Mez ex E.Morren
• Vriesea procera ( Martius ex Schultes f ) Witt Mack: Vriesea procera ( Martius ex Schultes f ) Witt Mack var procera
• Vriesea procera var rubra L.B.Smith
• Vriesea procera var tenuis L.B.Smith
• Vriesea procera var debilis Mez

• Vriesea psittacina ( Hook. ) Lindl. var psittacina
• Vriesea psittacina var rubrobracteata Hook.
• Vriesea psittacina var decolor Wawra

• Vriesea ruschii L.B.Smith subsp. ruschii
• Vriesea ruschii subsp. leonii Leme

• Vriesea scalaris var viridis Mez

• Vriesea sceptrum format flavobracteata Leme

• Vriesea splendens ( Brongniart ) Lemaire var splendens
• Vriesea splendens var striatifolia M.B.Foster
• Vriesea splendens var formosa Suringar ex Witte
• Vriesea splendens var oinochroma Steyermark
• Vriesea splendens var chlorostachya Oliva - Esteve

• Vriesea taritubensis E.Pereira & IAPenna var taritubensis
• Vriesea taritubensis var brevisepala E.Pereira & IAPenna

Propagation and maintenance as an ornamental plant

The Horticultural Propagation is usually by seed. Also meristem is used in some varieties for proliferation.

The flowering time can take about half a year depending on the type, then the mother plant dies gradually. When caring as an ornamental plant after flowering is the mother plant and vegetative offshoots Kindel. These should be kept to a minimum for some time connected to the mother plant. Young plants need a partially shady place, with high humidity. Full-grown plants that have already started to bloom, flourish wherever it is bright enough. Before flowering should always be sufficient water in the hopper.