Bromelcairns Bimonthly Newsletter of Cairns Bromeliad Society Inc. 2016 # 3 P.O. Box 28 Cairns Queensland 4870 Australia

Honorary Life Member - Grace Goode O.A.M. Honorary Life Member - Kay Edington Life Member - Lynn Hudson Life Member - Robert (Bob) Hudson

******************************************************************** Aims of the Society

Promote and Develop Interest in Bromeliads through Friendship To Co-operate with similar Clubs throughout the World

******************************************************************** Membership Fee: $15 Single, $25 Family, Country Member $25. $7.50 junior (if not in family membership) Meetings start at 1.pm sharp first Saturday of the month. Please bring a cup and a chair. Library: All books & magazines borrowed are to be returned in good order to the following meeting. If not on wait list, they may be rebooked. Plant Display/Sales: To participate, a member must be financial and circumstances permitting, have attended at least three meetings in the past six months. Where the society is charged a stall fee - 20% of sales are deducted for club funds. No charge venue & meetings - 10% of sales is deducted. All plants to be clean, free of disease, named and price tagged. Show Plants: Must be the property of and in the custody of the entrant for the past three months. For Society Shows the entrant must be financial and have attended at least three meetings during the past six months. Pens, Plant Tags & Pots: available at each meeting.

If reprinting article, wholly or in part, please acknowledge Author & Newsletter. Any article &/or Bromelcairns will be Emailed on request to lynnie@ledanet.com.au or lynnhudson@bromeliadsdownunder.com

President Brendan Leishman 0740578604 V-President Matt Wilson 0423101857 Secretary Dave Weston 0740578604 Treasurer Kelly Knight 0418768167 Librarian Steven French 0740322283 Editor Lynn Hudson 0740533913 Editor Assist. Jodie Smith 0405022155 Concierge Sharron Miller 0740322283 Pop. Vote Steward Lynn Hudson 0740533913 OIC Raffles Karen Stevens 0740361086 OIC Pots Frances Boyd 0740552550

Club Activities & Around the Members MAY:Mini Show was Cryptanthus, there were 6 very well grown entries but there were 15 excellent tillandsias commanding attention! MINI SHOW - Cryptanthus 1st Cryptanthus ‘Thriller’ – Dave Weston 2nd Cryptanthus ‘Elaine’ – Brendan Leishman 3rd Cryptanthus ‘Thriller’ – Lynn Hudson POPULAR VOTE JUNIOR - Nil entries NOVICE - Bromeliad Aechmea chantinii hybrid - Maurice Anderson Cryptanthus ‘Ruby’ - Maurice Anderson Tillandsia schiedeana - Maurice Anderson OPEN - Bromeliad 1st Dyckia ‘Yellow Glow’– Gail Taifalos 2nd. Neoregelia ‘Mad Max’– Steve French 2nd. Neoregelia ‘Alcatraz’– Brendan Leishman Cryptanthus 1st Cryptanthus ‘Thriller’ – Dave Weston 2nd Cryptanthus zonatus - Nalda Wilson 3rd. Cryptanthus ‘Thriller’ – Lynn Hudson Tillandsia 1st Tillandsia funckiana – Brendan Leishman 2nd. Tillandsia ionantha v. stricta - Bob Hudson 2nd. Tillandsia psuedobaileyi forma alba - Nalda Wilson

ionantha v. stricta ‘Sumo’ <funckiana; tomasellii >

ionantha >

Tillandsia psuedobaileyi forma alba Pics by Jodie Smith notes from “Tillandsia 11” by Paul Isley 2009 page 104.

! “Tillandsia pseudobaileyi grows as an epiphyte from Mexico to Nicaragua at elevations of near sea level to over 1,500m. It is a myrmecophyte (plants adapted to live in symbiosis with ants and/or ant colonies) that is easy to recognise because the inflated base is similar in appearance to an onion. Besides green, the basic colour of the plant is amethyst but since most of the plant is densely covered with finely appressed trichomes T. pseudobaileyi also has a frosted, silvery appearance. The leaves are striated longitudinally with thin amethyst lines. Overall it is a striking species, albeit one has to look closely because the colours and markings are subtle. Tillandsia pseudobaileyi flourishes in brightly lit outdoor patio or garden situations but needs frequent watering in dry climates and a standard feeding program through Fall. Tillandsia pseudobaileyi is an ageotropic species, so it grows well horizontally even upside down as do other myrmecophytic species.”

Nalda’s Till. pseudobaileyi ^ Jo’s plant showing amethyst lines on the bulb ****************************************************************************************************************************************************

Bloomin Broms 2016 We had 56 attendees, just 20 being our society members. Nigel showed beautiful Hawaii, the huge nurseries and plants that were imported. His second talk was a kaleidoscope of colour - some of

the very mouthwatering plants that will be released at ‘Sunny Broms’ conference in Caboolture on 31/3 to 2/4/2017. There were lots of ‘ohs’ & ‘ahs'. Greg Aizlewood took us to Ecuador, now everyone wants to go! Anil Ghodke explained tissue culturing. Bob showed different forms of tillandsias - after he had cooked us kebabs for lunch. Thank You to the Attendees, the Speakers, Plant Sellers & the Helpers who lifted & carried ‘stuff’. Special thank you to Kelly & Sharron who were marvellous, always there, doing.

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Mass Plant Production by Tissue Culture Presented by Anil Ghodke! Tissue culture technology involves rapid multiplication of plants on a nutrient medium containing growth hormones under sterile conditions. These plant cultures are kept under controlled conditions of light and temperature suitable to the particular plant species, to yield plantlets in mass numbers. Procedure Flow Chart

The section to be tissued can be part of the plant leaf, or buds, or cells from other parts of the plant, this is then called the ‘explant’. Bromeliad tissue is usually taken from the meristem. The working environment must be kept completely sterile throughout the whole procedure. Surface sterilisation of the ‘explant’ is the most important and sensitive step in plant tissue culture. Inappropriate concentrations of sterilants have a lethal effect on cell division and restrict growth and development of the ‘explant’. Therefore, suitable concentration, and combination and duration of sterilant exposure is essential to raise in vitro cultures successfully. Media is a mixture of macro nutrients & micro nutrients plus organic substances plus growth regulators & inert materials such as agar-agar. Each different plant requires differing ratios of ingredients. Surface sterilisation of the ‘explant’ is the most important and sensitive step in plant tissue culture. Inappropriate concentrations of sterilants have a lethal effect on cell division and restrict growth and development of the ‘explant’. Therefore, suitable concentration, and combination and duration of sterilant exposure is essential to raise in vitro cultures successfully.

The bud was removed from the mother plant for transfer into tissue culture and in just a few weeks the bud started to multiply on the nutrient media. They are then separated.

Plants growing in the growth room in a controlled environment Tissued plants in flask

Pretreatment before planting After pretreatment Planting in trays

Growing strongly Established tubestock The advantages of tissue culture* Creation of a large number of clones of selected elite plant varieties. *Large numbers of identical plants can be propagated in short amounts of time. * Overcomes seasonal restrictions of propagation through cuttings. * Easy international exchange of sterilised materials. Anil uses new techniques and invests in new equipment to keep standards high as he not only provides Australian growers but has contracts with chains of garden centres in Europe. // (Remember to repot each three months as you would seedlings. Ed)

Vriesea plantlets

6 Bloomin Broms - Pics from Bob’s Show “Tillandsia Odd Bods” Small Odd Bods

Top L-R 1. straminia x crocata; crocata orange; ionantha mini white; ionantha very small form. 2. bandensis; ionantha ‘Peanuts’; ionantha rubra. 3. ionantha alba; funebris; ionantha ‘Curley Top’ 4. capiliaris; tricholepis

More Small Odd Bods

sprengeliana azioides bryoides ***********************************************************************************************************************************

Large Odd Bods

ionantha giant duratii var. duratii

‘Star Trek’ reichenbachii white flowered

************************************************************************************************************************** Wot have people been doing ?? Bob, Matt, Council Staffer, Jodie, Paul, Kelly

L-R 1. xrectifolia; ‘Curly Slim’ 2. ‘Heathers Blush’; diguetii 3. chapeuensis; flabellata large red. More next Bromelcairns//

8 Wot have people been doing ?? # 1

Lynn, Bob & Kelly + Jodie, Matt, Paul & Council Staff at Cairns Esplanade 24th May With the Triathlon 3 weeks away the Council wanted a fig tree dressed up beside our Esplanade Lagoon. Three loads of plants, many working hands & proof bromeliads can certainly brighten a spot. Thanks Bob, Matt, Jodie, Kelly, Paul and 2 Council staff It was fun & looks even better in just the few weeks. Thank You for the Pics David Paschetto, Team Leader Botanic Gardens Operations) Before V After >

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Wot have people been doing ?? # 2!

Sharon’s Mum & Sharon ^ Sharon Lee !Plant grower extraordinaire from Rubyvale, a proud Queenlander. (On Tillnuts) Q: Sharon Lee - Doing the rounds this morning I noticed a Tillandsia glabrior inflorescence was stuck. Bit of gently prising with tweezers has released it (hopefully it will straighten). Is likely to be a humidity issue? A: Andrew Flower - Happens here sometimes (New Zealand) - more often with new leaves "quilling" and does seem to be a humidity issue, although I sometimes suspect temperature may be a co-factor. Last Spring here 5 Tillandsia streptocarpa clumps were mid-way through production of inflorescences when the flower spikes suddenly started quilling then never re-started - put that down to a month-long significant drop in temperatures, a fact I never noticed it until it was too late. But by the look of it your Tillandsia glabrior has been straightened out in time to keep it developing. Good luck!

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11 Wot have people been doing ?? #3 You met Oscar and saw his decorations in the last newsletter. Oscar, from Catalan, Barcelona, Spain. Eloise & Dan, from Vista, California. Talk about contacts! Dan was in Barcelona when he received our NL! He immediately wanted Oscar’s address, they met up - here is Eloise’s report. “Oscar is very sweet and charming. We met him at the train station at 8:45 am and didn't get home until 9:30 pm. Oscar was so happy to have someone to talk bromeliads with. He is starved for information on bromeliads especially tillandsias. Girona is a beautiful ancient city. You meander through the alley ways and come upon flower displays - according to the map there are 134 of them. Everyone participates, from school children to commercial florists and artists. He invited us to the botanical garden and to his house for lunch and to see his bromeliads on Sunday! Having a great time in Barcelona - lots of good things to eat and great things to see, and Oscar.” *****************************************************************************************************! On Planet Bromeliad, Floridian Rob Branch posted this picture of a hohenbergia growing an offset instead of a flower spike.! Val Honeywood: I had an Alcantarea extensa do the same thing. I removed the offset and the mother died producing no more pups. The offset grew just like any other offset and it has since flowered. Nigel Thomson: Bromeliads often do this, they (mutate) they get "confused"and send out a pup instead of a flower. If you let it get as big as possible, then remove it, it will grow just like any other pup. It will NOT necessarily throw pups on the spike like this of its own when mature. This is what makes Bromeliads so interesting and different to other plants, you never know what they are going to do next!!! **************************************************************************************************************************************

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David Warmington, Curator of our Botanic Gardens went to Peru to check out the Puyas - how lucky was he to see a Hummingbird in action!!**********************************************************************************************************************!Nothing just happened or just gets done, Someone has to make it happen or do it.

Hudson’s Bromeliads Down Under Bromeliads & Tillandsias Bob & Lynn Hudson ABN 66 951 932 976

47 Boden St. Edge Hill Cairns Phone: (07) 40533 913 043752241 email: lynnie@ledanet.com.au www.bromeliadsdownunder.wordpress.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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“Sunny Broms” March 31st - April 2nd 2017! 19th Australian Bromeliad Conference

Hosted by the Sunshine Coast Bromeliad Society Inc. Good Company, Interesting Guest Speakers from Oz & Overseas.!

Great Plants - many NEW releases! For all information - their website Sunnybroms.com Plan NOW to Attend

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“Bromeliad Cultivation Notes” by Lynn Hudson A little how-to book. Cultivation made easy. Basics in language anyone can follow

John Catlan’s notes -“Bromeliads Under the Mango Tree” A ‘must have’ book to help you think and grow your bromeliads better.

Booklet prepared & printed by Lynn Hudson Both available in bulk at reduced price. Contact Lynn on 07 40533913 or lynnie@ledanet.com.au or www.bromeliadsdownunder.wordpress.com

Cairns Lovebirds - bred by Karen Stevens 6 Alabama Street, Whiterock, Qld 4868 Phone 0419021302 bpklstevens@bigpond.com