This Months Speaker -

      George Aldrich:

is a retired engineer who worked for 32 years with the Florida Department of Transportation. He and his wife live in Ocala Florida where they have their collection, and run a nursery. Mr. Aldrich has been collecting for 15 years and has a 10,000 square foot green house. George is an accredited BSI judge and an educated horticulturalist who is a member of the FNGA (Florida Nursery Growers Assciation)

 

His Presentation: Bromeliads in Peru, Is about a trip he and his friend Grant Groves and their wives took about a year and a half ago. On this trip they crossed the Andes mountains by car from the west and traveled to the eastern Amazon part of Peru. Then back across the Andes south to the Inca Desert, that has sand dunes like Arakis➀. Peruvians literally surf on boards across these giant dunes as if they were water. This desert is the highest from sea-level in the world, a desert with unbelievably tough Tillandsias and the Bromeliad oasis. Mr. Aldrich’s trip crossed many very different environments and his presentation will cover all of them. Next year George’s party intends to return for a second helping of Peru’s Bromeliads, vistas and great food. After speaking with him by phone I’m PSYCHED.

 

Don’t miss this one, and expect a great slide show.

 

Mr. Aldrich will be bringing plants to sell, so

            members plant sales are suspended.

 

His Physical Address is:

              Plants-n-Things

              746 N.W. 46^th St Okala Florida 34479

See You

Tuesday April 5^th 7:30 pm  

Please turn off your cell Phones.

Remember the line from The Graduate, “One word, PLASTICS.” After watching President Wolfe’s Presentation I have two words – “Cypress Mulch”.

Meeting Tom Wolfe was a great opportunity to use the phrase – Mr. President. So chilling with my West Wing buzz, I settled down to have a really good demonstration on how to make a Bromeliad bed. Provide shade with Non-Bromeliad trees. Plant several types of Bromeliads under their shade and use cypress mulch as the top cover of the bed. Plant the Bromeliads in the mulch since they don’t really need the soil. President Wolfe tried some experiments to explain why cypress mulch worked best but they were inconclusive. Still, if the President of the BSI says cypress mulch works best, good enough for me.

And now without further ado Moyna Prince’s summary of March’s meeting.

We ran out of chairs at the March meeting, there were so many visitors. Tom Wolfe, the current president of the Bromeliad Society International, gave an interesting program on landscaping with bromeliads. He recommended several plants that can take full sun, including Aechmea blanchetiana, Aec. ornata var. nationalis and several Neoregelias. Tom likes using cypress mulch for his bromeliad beds which helps keep the weeds down and provides good drainage during rainy seasons.

Tom also discussed the Chicago World Bromeliad Conference which is coming up in August. The WBC is sponsored by the BSI and hosted by the Chicago Bromeliad Society. Registration forms are available online at bsi.org. There will be seminars, sales, a judged show and bus tours. Tom encouraged BSSF members to attend.

The raffle plants were provided by Karl Green. He had some unusual species in flower, including an Aechmea racinae with a pendant inflorescence, two Canistropsis and a large form of Tillandsia flabellata. The Greens and Princes both brought two door prizes.

Karl also had some rarities on the show and tell table, including a marginated form of Quesnelia testudo, and a blooming Aechmea ornata var. nationalis. He showed an uncommon genus, Lymania corallina in flower, and Aechmea capixabae with purple and orange inflorescence. This plant does very well in trees. There was also a huge Aechmea nidularioides with a long-lasting inflorescence, red bracts tipped with white.

Nat DeLeon had several blooming beauties including Aechmea ‘Orange Sherbet’ and a cross between Aechmea fasciata and Aec. manzararesiana. Nat showed an interesting bigeneric cross between Aec. fasciata and Nidularium innocentii. Among his Guzmanias was a beautiful species, Guz. alborosea, with a pink and white inflorescence. He also showed two forms of Guz. ‘Irene’, one of which was a mutation that may or may not have pups with the same desirable traits!

On the refreshments table were some delicious sandwiches, pies and meat balls brought by Kris Green, Angela Dowling, Patty Gonzalez, Joy Von Wald and new member Mary Barker. contributions of BSSF members. Contact Sharon if you can help: 305-255-7545. 

                            

                                      Moyna Prince

 

PS President Wolfe requested that those who could make a donation do so to the BSI to support its activities and the World Conference being held in Chicago. Illinois being the first northern state to be the host of the conference.

http://www.bsi.org/bsi_info/contribute.html

 

PSS   CALL FOR NOMINATIONS FOR BSI DIRECTORS, 2003-2005 TERM

 

The regions for which vacancies occur are as follows:

Florida: 2 director

President (individual must have been a member of the BSI Board of Directors for at least one year in the past) Who may nominate? Any voting member of the society who resides in a region for which there is an opening may nominate a candidate for an opening in that region.

Who may be nominated? A nominee must: (1) be a voting member of the society and have been a voting member for the three consecutive years prior to nomination; (2) reside in the region for which he/she has been nominated; (3) not have served two consecutive terms as a director immediately preceding nomination; (4) agree to being nominated; (5) agree to serve as a director if elected.

Procedure for nominating: (1) obtain the consent of the prospective nominee and verify compliance with the qualification criteria; (2) mail nominations to the chairman of the Nominations Committee between January 1, 2004 and March 18, 2004, inclusive. (Nominations must reach the chairman of the Nominations Committee by March 20, 2004.) Nominations by telephone will be accepted through March 15, 2004 but must be confirmed in writing; (3) supply with each nomination the full name, address and telephone number of the nominee, the position for which the nomination is being made, the local society affiliation, and a brief biography of the nominee.

Mail nominations to:
Theresa M. Bert
BSI Nominations Chairman
9251 13th Ave. Cir. NW
Bradenton, FL 34209
(941) 795-6012
email: theresa.bert@fwc.state.fl.us

Citing: The act of using a short note recognizing a source of information or of a quoted passage; "the student's essay failed to list several important citations". As opposed to sighting, the act of seeing an object with your eyes.

 

Biodiversity: or biological diversity can be defined as the spectrum of life forms and the ecological processes that support them. It occurs at four different levels: genetic diversity, species diversity, community diversity, and ecosystem diversity. Genetic diversity refers to a healthy and diverse gene pool for a specific species so that one calamity (e.g., disease) does not significantly harm the species; species diversity refers a multitude of species filling a particular niche in a geographical area, so that the loss of one species does not harm the community; and so on.

 

Diphthong: a diphthong is a gliding vowel sound normally represented by two adjacent vowels. In typography, some diphthongs are represented by a single ligature character (joined letters). The most commonly used diphthong ligatures are æ, oe, AE, and OE. I could really have a lot of fun with this definition but I’ll restrain myself and only mention that it is also a type of woman’s shoe.

 

Case Sensitive: When typing a computer address in Windows based computers it usually doesn’t matter whether the letters are capital or lower case or a mix, as long as they are the same letters. But if the address is CASE SENSITIVE then it does matter. The address must be written exactly as printed.

 

Sources ➁ ➂

Dr. K's Guide to Botanical Latin

(with profuse apologies to William T. Stearn*, from whom I cribbed a lot of it)

by Kay Lancaster**

 

1. Latin words are divided into syllables. There is one vowel per syllable, with the exception of diphthongs like ae, au, ei, eu, oi and ui.

1. 2. To determine where the accent falls in a word, you must divide it into syllables. If there is a long vowel in the penult, (the next to the last syllable), the penult gets the accent. (au-STRA-lus, AL-bus)

3. If the penult has a short vowel, the accent goes to the syllable before the penult, the antepenult. (FLO-ri-dus, la-ti-FO-li-a)

4. Dipthongs are treated as long vowels.

5. In Latin, if two vowels that do not form a dipthong come together, the first vowel is short: (CAR-ne-us, ME-di-us)

6. In words of Greek origin, the opposite holds: gi-gan-TE-us

7. Watch out for the -inus ending. The i is long in some cases, like al-PIN-us, but short in others: se-RO-ti-nus. Words of Greek derivation usually have the short i in an -inus ending.

8. Best way to find out where the accent belongs is to consult a decent Latin dictionary, or a good flora like Gray's Manual. If the stresses are indicated by a ` (grave), the syllable has a short vowel. If the syllable is accented with a ' it has a long vowel.

9. There are usually some minor accents earlier in the word if it has a bunch of syllables: Put them in reasonable places, usually every other syllable..... rosmariniflorus is rose'-mar-in'-i-FLOR-us.

10. You have your choice of pronounciations of letters. Stearn** gives "reformed academic" ("classical") and "traditional English" which is next door to my church Latin.

If you're a true "church latinist", "cie" is "ch", not "s" or "k".

Now, as to pronouncing names that are stolen from other languages or were once people's names, you're kinda on your own. Try to get it to an approximation of the original language OR try to come up with something that doesn't land with a dull thud on the ear.

"Warszeiczella" can be rendered

                "var-she-vi-CHEL-la".

One other problem: -ii or -iae endings can be tricky, since if you apply the penult/antepenult rule, you need to put the accent on the last syllable of the latinized personal name, which is usually where it doesn't belong. So people cut some slack on that rule when dealing with -ii and -iae endings.

Finally, words of wisdom from Stearn:

"Botanical Latin is essentially a written language, but the scientific names of plants often occur in speech. How they are pronounced really matters little provided they sound pleasant and are understood by all concerned..."

 

* "Botanical Latin", William T. Stearn, 1993
** Dr. Kay Lancaster is past Professor of Botany at the University of Northern Iowa. She is presently living in Oregon where she is presently doing freelance writing email kay@fern.com

 

Last months plant was a gimme. I showed a print of the Bromeliadvisrory to a thirteen year old from New York and in two seconds she said “Spanish Moss”– CORRECT

the Answer:                    Tillandsia usneoides

The common name is       Spanish Moss.

 

So here is a curious bit about last month’s entry: 

              Of the thirteen species of bromeliads in the genus Tillandsia native to Florida, the one we call Spanish moss, Tillandsia usneoides, is probably the best known. It is the most non-bromeliad-looking bromelid in the world but it has the distinction of having the widest global range of any species in its family. All bromeliads, except a single , species in Africa, are indigenous to the New World, and Til. usneoides is found from the southern United Statres through the West Indies and Mexico to Argentina and Chile in South America. It was first noted in he writings of Hernando d'Escalante Fontenada who, at the age of 13, vas sailing from Colombia to Spain to be educated. The ship wrecked 1545 on a Florida reef and young Fontenada was taken captive by Calusa Indians in southwest Florida. He noted that "These Indians have no gold, less silver and less clothing. They go naked, except only some breech cloths woven of palms, with which the men cover Themselves; the women do the like with a certain grass that grows on trees. This grass looks like wool, although it is different from it."

                                                   By Roger L. Hammer➃

 

 

This months plant

It grows in my backyard. It’s a Quesnelia? No it’s a Aechmea? No it’s a transgeneric hybrid? Whatever it is, they started blooming in the first week of March at N 25 29.795' Latitude and W 80 20.439 Longitude and they make me bleed. Those are your clues;

+ plus the picture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now since this is a black and white print I’ve also made available some color images published on the web.

    www.timewolf.net/BSSF/namethatplant

(Case Sensitive!) Good Luck Contestants!

Name that Plant!

Check here next month for the answer.

Oasis in the Everglades: a Florida wildlife refuge combines nature and nurture - This Land
Natural History, Nov 2003 by Robert H Mohlenbrok

Wetlands once covered much of the southern third of the Florida peninsula. Cypress swamps dominated the western part of the region and mangrove swamps the south coast. In the east lay a vast tract of water and sawgrass known as the Everglades. Prior to the nineteenth century, most of the settlement in southern Florida was confined to the strip of elevated land along the Atlantic coast. But by the 1800s people bent on farming began draining the Everglades by constructing canals and levees.

1. In 1934 Congress established the Everglades National Park to preserve the southern part of the original Everglades. North of the park and south of Lake Okeechobee, however, development continued. There, in the late 1940s, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began the establishment of three so-called water conservation areas, which further reduced the natural flow of water through the Everglades. The good news for the plants and animals that depended on the vanishing wetlands is that in 1951, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the State of Florida, under the Migratory Bird Conservation Act, turned one of the water conservation areas into a national wildlife refuge.

Still managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge (named for the nearby town of Loxahatchee and in honor of a former employee of the Fish and Wildlife Service) covers more than 220 square miles. Most of the refuge is Everglades marsh bordered by levees. The water flow is managed to create marsh areas for waterfowl and other plant and animal species. Within the marsh are slightly elevated portions of terrain known as tree islands, which, true to their name, support the growth of trees. In addition, a 400-acre cypress swamp conserves the remains of a habitat that once extended all the way from Lake Okeechobee southeast to Fort Lauderdale.

Perhaps the most striking plants in the cypress swamp are the epiphytic bromeliads, which are members of the pineapple family. These gray or gray-green plants live on the branches and trunks of the trees, but they are not parasitic. Instead, their leaves absorb moisture and nutrient particles directly from the air, such as the remains of decaying leaves and the droppings of insects and birds. Spanish moss is the most familiar example, though a misnomer: it is not a moss but a flowering plant. Its small, yellow-green flowers are particularly fragrant after sundown.

The main entrance and the visitor's center of the refuge are located west of Boynton Beach, on Lee Road, off U.S. Highway 441. The only other public entry point (from Loxahatchee Road, also off route 441) is farther south, west of Boca Raton. The northern two-thirds of the refuge is closed to public use, but the rest provides ample opportunities for biking, canoeing, fishing, and hiking.

The refuge needs extensive management to maintain its present condition. Periodic prescribed burning enhances the growth of certain native species and, perhaps more important, slows the growth of an aggressive invasive species, melaleuca. Furthermore, the refuge is a part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Project, which is trying to return as much of the Everglades as possible to more natural conditions.

A major part of the project, under the direction of the Corps of Engineers, is to restore the natural flow of water. The South Florida Water Management District, which is manipulating water depths and flows under its jurisdiction and examining the responses of plants and animals, is conducting experimental studies at the refuge. The hope is to learn how to re-create, on a small scale, natural communities similar to the ones that still occur in the Everglades. Results from these studies will be applied to the larger Everglades complex.

HABITATS

Cypress swamp Visitors can see a good cross section of the cypress swamp by following a 0.4-mile boardwalk near the main entrance. The standing water along the way can be as much as two feet deep in rainy seasons, or it can vanish entirely in dry periods. Pond cypress is 'the dominant tree, but other species such as coco plum, red bay, and red maple also grow here. Native shrubs scattered beneath the canopy include buttonbush, dahoon holly, Virginia willow and wax myrtle. Among the invasive species found here and there are Brazilian peppertree, guava, laurel fig, melaleuca, Old World climbing fern, and strangler fig. Climbing hempweed, laurel greenbrier (bamboo vine), muscadine grape, pepper vine, saltmarsh morning glory, Virginia creeper, wild balsam pear, and other vines form dense entanglements.

Ferns range in size from the giant leather fern, with fronds as much as ten feet long, to the tiny water spangles and mosquito fern that float on the water. In between are cinnamon fern, giant sword fern, long strap fern, royal fern, and swamp fern. Apart from Spanish moss, epiphytic bromeliads include ball moss, Schultes northern needleleaf (with curved leaves) and southern needleleaf, and the rare spreading air plant. The showiest bromeliad is the wild pineapple, which produces small purple flowers emerging from red, usually yellow-tipped bracts.

Marsh About a mile from the visitors center, a 0.8-mile hiking trail circles one of the marshes. Various plants are visible floating in the water or protruding above it. Among them are arrow arum, bull-tongue arrowhead, pickerelweed, water lettuce, white water lily, yellow water lily, and the invasive alligator weed. Growing in soggy soil but usually not in standing water are such species as alligator lily, bog hemp, camphor pluchea, seaside goldenrod, southern swamp crinum lily, sweetscent, Virginia saltmarsh mallow, and winged loosestrife.

Sawgrass The species is actually a sedge, not a grass, though at least it is aptly named for its notched leaf edges and their effects on unprotected legs. It often grows in dense colonies interspersed with dahoon holly and wax myrtle. This habitat typically borders tree islands.

Tree island Areas of the marsh slightly elevated above the water level usually have a dense growth of trees. Among them are buttonbush, coco plum, dahoon holly, and red bay.

Robert Mohlenbrock is professor emeritus of plant biology at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.

COPYRIGHT 2003 American Museum of Natural History
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group                             

Coming In April:  

                         

 

The Miami-Dade County Fair

March 18^th to April 4^th Coral Way (S.W. 24^th St.) & 112^th Ave

Free Parking Information: Call (305) 223-7060

Weekdays 3:00PM to 10 :00PM Weekends10:00 am- 10:00 pm

www.fairexpo.com

 

Tropiflora Spring Plant Festival

April 2^nd – 5^th

3530 Tallevast Road Sarasota, FL 34243 

941-351-2267 www.tropiflora.com

 

Volusia County Master Gardeners

6^th Annual Plant Fair

April 3^rd Volusia County Fair Grounds 8:30am 12:30 pm

 

USF Spring Plant Fair Botanic Gardens at USF

April 10^th & 11^th 4202 E Fowler Ave., Tampa, FL

$3.00 admission Sat 10:00 am- 4:00 pm, Sun 10:00 am – 3:00

www.cas.usf.edu/garden

Membership News:

 

 

 

The BSSF has a pass to the Fairchild Tropical Garden Valid Until: 12/31/2004. Any member may borrow the pass and enter the garden using the pass free of charge. Please contact Karl Green to sign-out the pass.

 

We are now subscribing to a Brazilian Bromeliad periodical called Vidalia. Check it out in our library when it comes in.

Name Tags for New Members:

are available from Connie Johnson. Call her at 305-275-8595 to order yours. They are free the first time; there’s a nominal charge for replacements. Folks, please wear your name tags! It simplifies things for everyone.

 

Sales Tables:

Our guest speaker will be selling plants at this meeting, so member sales will be suspended.

 

Show and Tell:

Karl Green, Nat DeLeon and Steve Correale

 

Raffle Table:

Ed and Moyna Prince

 

Door Prize:

Mike Michalski

 

Library:

Lynne Fieber will have the library open from 7:00pm to 7:30 pm. Please return any books and publications you’ve checked out.

 

Refreshments:

Connie Johnson, Nick Crespo, Victor Taboada, Moyna Prince, Joy Parish and Clara Kouchalakos are up at bat preparing refreshments for April’s meeting. Orchestrated by Sandy Roth, this month will have an Easter and Passover Theme.

  

http://www.aroid.org

 

 

 

What is an Aroid? Aroid is the common name for members of the Araceae family of plants, sometimes known as the Philodendron or Arum family. The sometimes beautiful and sometimes bizarre combination of spathe and spadix known as the inflorescence, and sometimes referred to as a "flower", is a distinguishing feature of all aroids.

 

---

 

Democracy 2004

          Two months ago it was proposed that the editor of the Bromeliadvisory be given voting rights.

             Now it will be time to vote on it.     

              Basically I, Nick Crespo, attend the meetings and participate but technically I can’t take the floor or propose a motion and I can’t vote on matters. I joined this society in July of 2003 and I love it, but I’m totally low man on the totem pole. I don’t know poop about Bromeliads but I’m learning and I’m enthusiastic. In the cordial world of the BSSF, I don’t think it makes a big difference but... Ed Prince, Pete Kouchalakos, and Karl Green think it’s a good idea.

Please Note: all the voting positions are elected. Nobody elected the editor of the Bromeliadvisory. I volunteered and unless I quit or am fired or someone else wants the job I’m going to be doing it for a while.

And voting for a while.

Think about it. Do the right thing.

May 1^st & 2^nd

Fairchild Tropical Garden 

10901 Old Cutler Rd., Coral Gables, FL

Sat & Sun 9:30 am to 4:30 pm 

1) To Place Adds in the upcoming Show-Book

contact Pete Kouchalakos.

2) BSSF 2004 Bromeliad show plant entry forms

This months Bromeliadvisory includes an entry sheet for members to enter their Bromeliads for judging in the upcoming show. Members are encouraged to enter as many of their plants as they would like but are reminded that their enteries must have been in their collection for at least 6 months. Plants must be delivered to FTG by Thursday from 12PM to 6PM for judging on Friday. So consider that the Entry Deadline. See Moyna Price for Rules Booklet.

3) Members bring plants for Judging will be asked to help place the plants as well. Please see Clara Kouchalakos.

4) Members bring plants for Sale will be asked to help run the sales booths and checkout window Please see the Bauers.

SHOW COMMITTEE CHAIRS

 

General Chairman                           Karl Green 

Co-Chairman                                  Nick Crespo 

Advertising                                 Peter Kouchalakos             

Art                                                    Sharon Biddix-Maessen      

Artistic                                               Need volunteer

Auction                                      Peter Kouchakos / Ed Prince             

Award Sponsors                           Joy Parrish                

Awards                          *            Donna Pearce                              

Catering                      *            Sandy Roth / Judy Pagliarulo            

Classification                                    Nat DeLeon / Moyna Prince             

Clerks                                               Lynn Fieber                        

Commercial Sales                           Ed Prince

Entries                                               Dean Fairchild

Hospitality                          *            Patty Gonzalez                   

Information                      *            Connie Johnson                

Judges                                             Dean Fairchild / Connie Johnson     

Photography                                    Michael Schmale           

Placement                   *            Clara Kouchalakos            

Plant Holding               *            Antonio Arbelaez            

Publicity                                     Leslie Gluesing                   

Member Sales             *            Carl & Margie Bauer          

Schedule                                    Dean Fairchild         

Show Booklet                             Moyna Prince                     

Staging                              *            Bob Mills

 

 

* indicate the these committee chairs need help with their assignments so please volunteer.

                       

Eligibility:

1) You must be a member of BSSF as of 1/1/2004

2) You must have an ID number - call Carl Bauer (305)661-5881

between 9AM and 8PM any day to confirm that you are selling this year.

3) There is no limit to the number of plants you may bring - but space on the tables will be fairly given to all sellers. So, some plants may go under the table until space becomes available.

4) Plants must be in nice condition and clean. Yes, they can be bare root, but clean. Please dump all water from plants.

 

Rules:

1) All plants must be priced in whole dollars. (No Fractions)

2) You will receive 68% of the sale price. BSSF will receive 20%, Sales Tax is 7%, and Fairchild’s share is 5%.

3) Bring your plants on Friday, April 30, between 5 and 6:30 PM, or Saturday morning, May 1, between 7:30 and 9 AM, During these times you may drive your vehicle to our sales tables down in the garden. FTG (Fairchild) is unbending regarding these times and your vehicle in the garden.

4) All members selling plants are required to assist in the sales booth.

5) If you are going to sell, please consider entering a minimum of 3 plants in the show for display or judging.

6) Remember, 2 tags per plant.*

7) Remember, Sunday 4:40 PM, come for your unsold plants. (If not claimed, they will be considered a donation to BSSF.)

  *Each tag should include the price, your ID# and the name of the plant

Remember: 2 tags, same information on each. Please use #2 pencil. Single line dollar sign.    

Notes from the Editor: 

 

As a C-SPAN Caller I always start my soliloquies with the secular greeting – “Thanks for C-SPAN”. In that vein I would like us to start a secular greeting of our own.

 

            The sophomoric double-entendre:

 

            Bromeliads are a family ➄

 

You may reach me at Bromeliad@timewolf.net via Email or at10011 S.W. 133^rd Street Miami FL 33176 via Snail Mail.

 

---

 

Sources: 

➀ Planet Arakis is the center stage of Frank Herbert’s Space Opera – Dune. Having resulted in many books 3 movies and countless imitations, Arakis is the desert world of the popular imagination: Shai Halud!

➁Hyper Dictionary – Online dictionary. http://www.hyperdictionary.com/

➂University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Website

http://www.uwlax.edu/murphy/environment/biodiversity/overview1

➃ Oct 2001 issue of the Newsletter of the Dade Chapter Florida Native Plant Society.

➄The double-entendre is that Bromeliaceae is the taxonomic family that includes all Bromeliads, so Bromeliads are a family. But also, those of us that have been bitten by the Bromeliad bug share an intangible kinship that also binds us as a family – Bromeliads are a family.