The correct name for Guzmania fusispica

Abstract

The plant grown as Guzmania fusispica in many collections, especially in Botanic Gardens, has to change name to G. osyana. G. recurvobracteata becomes a synonym to G. osyana and G. fusispica to G. bracteosa.

Full text

102 JBS 61(3). 2011
The correct name for Guzmania fusispica
Eric J. Gouda, University Utrecht Botanic Garden
SCIENTIFIC
Summary: The plant grown as Guzmania fusispica in many collections, especially in Bo-
tanic Gardens, has to change name to G. osyana. G. recurvobracteata becomes a synonym to
G. osyana and G. fusispica to G. bracteosa.
In the Journal volume 35(6) on page 258, Harry Luther (1985) wrote that Guzmania recur-
vobracteata Rauh (1979:18) should be considered conspecific with Guzmania fusispica Mez &
Sodiro (1905:112). It can have more or less spreading floral bract apices, at least that is what
we now know as G.fusispica. Working on a presentation on CD (Gouda 2011) of the so called
and well known Morren paintings from “La Belgique Horticole”, I came along the image of
Caraguata osyana E.Morren (1885) now named Guzmania osyana (E.Morren) Mez (1896) and
also originating from Ecuador (you can find the presentation online at http://botu07.bio.
uu.nl/bcg/Belgique Horticole/. The same image was published earlier in the journal volume
59(6) on page 282 (Dijkgraaf 2009:282).
Mez kept those two species apart and in his description of G. osyana he says inflorescence
densely digitate (also in his key in DC, Mez 1896) with inconspicuous primary bracts, which
does not make sense looking at the Morren (1885) painting of this species and Morren’s
description. Apparently Mez confused G. osyana with something else.
Figure 1. Guzmania (Caraguata) osyana E.Morren Belg. Hortic. xxxv. 254, planche xvi (1885)

103
JBS 61(3). 2011
SCIENTIFIC The correct name for Guzmania fusispica
In a personal communication with José Manzanares, he told me that he had searched
for a G. osyana (different from G. fusispica) but he could not find such a plant in the type
area, already indicating that it must be one and the same species. Also Harry Luther (2010)
in his most recent Rebus, after checking with José, came to the conclusion that both taxa
are conspecific.
A study of the type material of Guzmania fusispica Mez & Sodiro showed me that this species
is not the same as what has been known as G. fusispica Hort. for all those years. The floral
bracts in the type specimen are erect including the apices and at first glance it resembles
the Caribbean species Guzmania berteroniana (Schult.f.) Mez (1896) in size and inflorescence.
So G. fusispica is not conspecific with G. osyana. Further study proved that it is conspecific
with Guzmania bracteosa André ex Mez (1896), both types are from the province Pichincha,
Ecuador. Carl Mez did not mention any floral bract color, but in Smith & Downs (1977:1335)
the floral bracts were mentioned to be nearly white, probably taken from the second col-
lection sited, Naundorff s.n. This specimen which has been cultivated by Naundorff also
originated from province Pichincha, Ecuador and slides were provided with the specimen,
showing whitish bracts and is probably an alba form.
At the Utrecht Botanic Gardens we have grown G. osyana from seeds from the clonotype
(living plant that served to make the herbarium voucher, now the type specimen) of G.
recurvobracteata collection Rauh 34472. Several other plants of garden origin flowered for
us and most of them had quite narrow spikes with scarcely divergent floral bract apices,
like the picture in the beautiful large book Bromeliads by F. Oliva-Esteve (2000:174). This
does make it look slightly different from the Morren plate that has a much broader spike
and recurving bract apices. Apparently it can produce this broader spike when the plant is
fully grown, because we had this clonotype flowering with two rosettes, one smaller rosette
with a narrow spike and the bigger plant with a broad one (fig. 2). Needless to say that G.
recurvobracteata has to be considered synonymous to G. osyana.
Acknowledgements: I want to thank Bot. Museum Berlin-Dahlem for the loan of the type
specimen of G. fusispica and Leo Dijkgraaf for supplying the many old images scanned from
Belgique Horticole. The Smithsonian Institution for providing a picture of the specimen of
Guzmania fusispica, Naundorff s.n. The Botanic Garden Heidelberg for providing material
of the clonotype offspring.
Literature cited:
Dijkgraaf , L. 2009. Bromeliad icons in old publications, part 5. J. Bromeliad.Soc. 59(6)279-
285.
Gouda, E.J. 2011. Bromeliad CD of La Belgique Horticole, B.G. Utrecht.
Luther, H.E. 1985. Guzmania fusispica; a Further Examination. J. Bromeliad Soc. 35:258.
Luther, H. E. & L. Rabinowitz (2010) De Rebus Bromeliacearum IV. Selbyana 30(2) 147-189.
Oliva-Esteve, F. 2000. Bromeliads. Armitano Editores C. A., Caracas Venezuela.
Smith, L. B. & R. J. Downs. 1977. Flora Neotropica. Monograph 14 Bromeliaceae, Tilland-
sioideae. Vol. 2. Hafner Press, New York USA.
Mez, C. & Sodiro 1905. Additamenta monographica. Bull. Herb. Boiss. Ser. II. v. 112.
Mez, C. 1896. Bromeliacees. DC. Monogr. Phan. ix. 914.
Morren, E. 1885. SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1Description du Caraguata Osyana Morr. Belg. Hortic.
xxxv. 254.
Rauh, W. 1979. Trop. Subtrop. Pflanzenwelt 31:18-21.