The seed in this case gave us two main sorts of plants which was a bit strange because it pointed to Aechmea orlandiana ss. belloi being a hybrid. If A. orlandiana ss. belloi had been crossed accidentally with another species in Elton's garden we would expect an F1 generation where the grex would be fairly constant. Another scenario is that Elton sent two berries of seed each with different fathers.
In 1998 I was discussing my problem with Moyna Prince of Miami who also had A. orlandiana ss. belloi which had not been grown from seed and could be traced back to Renato Bello of Brazil. Interestingly, Moyna had sent a leaf and inflorescence to Dr. Robert Read in Naples , Florida and I quote from some of the reply.
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"There is an error in Lyman Smith's monograph where it says the spikes of Aechmea orlandiana are distichous whereas in fact they are polystichous. Now to your specimen where the primary bract has very minute serrulations if at all, and the primary bracts are shorter than the spikes, whereas the description for A. orlandiana says "primary bracts like the scape-bracts, also serrulate, exceeding the spikes" The monograph also says that floral bracts ...the margins free from the rhachis whereas in fact both A. orlandiana and your plant have the floral bracts attached to the rhachis but not like in the sub-genus Platyaechmea. Further, the Monograph states that sepals are strongly asymmetric...short-mucronulate whereas in my plant of this name the sepals are strongly asymmetric to my eye, sharply mucronate. Your plant on the other hand has sepals strongly asymmetric and inconspicuously mucronulate/apiculate. A. orlandiana has broadly rounded ovate scape and primary bracts which are strongly serrate and the primary bracts exceed the spikes, while your specimen has broadly lanceolate scape and primary bracts which are minutely serrulate. This means that a corrected description of Aechmea orlandiana is needed, but I guess the lack of bars on the leaves, the open inflorescence and other minutiae would indeed allow your plant the distinction of being a distinct variety if not a natural hybrid. As Lyman always said, "It happens all the time!""
There is a small reference to Aechmea orlandiana ss belloi in the BSIJ p66 (1989) but my next main step was to obtain a copy of Bradea 4 :34. 266-7 (1986) and Jason Grant helped me in this regard. No reference was made to the difference in teeth on the scape or primary bracts, nor to the polystichous spikes of ss. belloi and distichous spikes of ss. orlandiana, nor to the strongly asymmetric sepals of ss. orlandiana. No information was given as to other Bromeliads found in the vicinity to suggest possible hybridisation. Clearly, some botanist needs to correct the formal description of Aechmea orlandiana ss. orlandiana in view of Dr Robert Read's findings so that the relationships between it and ss belloi can be properly evaluated.
How is my research progressing? Well, surprisingly, my so called ss. belloi has set seed with no prompting from me and no other Aechmea in flower in sight. I have sown some seed and sent some back to Brazil (Antonio Miranda of Brasilia) so we can try to get some answer in another 5 years time! It may give results for a better understanding of this complex.
Finally, perhaps you may wish to compare the photo I got from Antonio Miranda of a plant not raised from seed and that in the BSIJ p67 (1989) where the red primary and floral bracts do not equate with the orange colour in the description."
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