'Auntie Margaret Queries'

Werauhia ororiensis / Werauhia nephrolepis

Margaret Butcher
Margaret Butcher
 This is to let you know that I do not always have brickbats in my column. This is to congratulate Harvey Beltz. Apparently Harvey had climbed Volcano Irazu in Costa Rica in 1989 (with mechanical assistance I believe!) and brought back seed. Bertie Bromel (aka Andrew Flower) raised only one plant from his packet of seed sown in May 1990 and it flowered in November 1998. It has green flowers that open during the day. Just one note though, if you were successful in growing this seed please change the name to Werauhia ororiensis. Vriesea irazuensis got swallowed up by ororiensis in 1983 courtesy of John Utley.

Bertie says that there have been no recorded instances of this plant raised in cultivation, and several reports that Vriesea irazuensis is impossible to keep alive outside its native habitat (see eg. BSI Journal July-August , 1974 p. 156)- so he is claiming a WORLD FIRST !!

If we read John Utley's "Tulane Studies in Zoology and Botany" (1983), we find that both Werauhia ororiensis and Werauhia nephrolepis grow on Volcan Irazu with W. ororiensis at 1800 - 2200m and W. nephrolepis lower down at 1200 - 1400m. It therefore appears that Harvey did not go as far up the mountain as he had thought.

Auntie Margaret            
Bertie Bromel (aka Andrew Flower, © Anwyl Bromeliads) replies:

I have serious doubts on the identity, and Dr. Walter Till has confirmed my suspicion that it is actually Werauhia nephrolepis.
So, until my plant flowers again, I'll suspend my grandiose claims for a "world first" !!!

By the way, is W. nephrolepis rare in cultivation?

Bertie.
Werauhia ororiensis
Werauhia ororiensis
now identified as
Werauhia nephrolepis
Jason Grant has kindly sent us pictures of what he says is the REAL Werauhia ororiensis and states:
"Notice the different shape of the flowers (ororiensis is completely day-flowering), the bright green petals, and bright red bracts. It has quite nice Christmas coloration."
Werauhia ororiensis
THE REAL
Werauhia ororiensis
Werauhia ororiensis
THE REAL
Werauhia ororiensis
Click on the thumbnails to view the pictures.
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Photo Credits:
Werauhia ororiensis - Bertie Bromel (aka Andrew Flower)
REAL Werauhia ororiensis - Jason Grant

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