VOUAPA 



VRIESIA 



3493 



perfect stamens 3; ovary stipitate, 3- to many-ovuled: 

 pod obliquely orbiculate, ovate-oblong or falcate, piano- 

 compressed, leathery, 2-valved. About 45 species, 

 Trop. Amer. and Trop. Afr. This is the oldest generic 

 name, but the name Macrolobium is retained by the 

 list of ''nomina conservanda" accepted at Vienna. 

 Macrolbbium bifolium, Pers. (M. Vuapa, J. F. Gmel. 

 Vouapa bifolia, Aubl.). Tree, about 10 ft. high: Ifts. 

 sessile, ovate, acuminate, oblique: fls. violet; calyx- 

 lobes spreading; stamens nearly equaling the corolla. 

 Guiana. 



VRIESIA (named for Dr. W. de Vriese, of Amster- 

 dam). Bromelidcese. Often spelled Vriesea, but not so 

 spelled by Lindley, who founded the genus. Tropical 

 American stiff-leaved plants, with mostly distichous 

 spikes bearing large and showy bracts. According 

 to Mez (DC. Monogr. Phaner. 9), 84 species are to be 

 referred to this genus. They are very like tillandsias, 

 with which they are united by Bent ham & Hooker and 

 others. The chief technical difference is the presence in 

 Vriesia of 2 ligules or a single cleft or emarginate ligule 

 on the inside of the base of petals. Culturally, vriesias 

 are like tillandsias. They run to forms with marbled 

 and banded Ivs. Several species have been intro. in 

 recent years, and many garden hybrids have been 

 produced. Few kinds are offered in the American 

 trade, and only these kinds are described here. For 

 other kinds, see the monographs of Baker and Mez; 

 also the accounts from time to time in horticultural 

 publications. For cult., see Tillandsia. 



A. Stamens longer than the petals. 



B. Infl. branched. 



Saundersii, Morr. (Tilldndsia Saundersii, C. Koch. 

 Encholirium Saundersii, Andre). About IK ft- high 

 when in bloom: Ivs. many, in a rosette, rather short, 

 strongly recurving, grayish and somewhat white- 

 dotted above, spotted with red-brown beneath: Bs. in 

 a branched open infl., sulfur- vellow, cylindrical in form. 

 Brazil. I.H. 20:132. 



BB. Infl. simple. 



C. Bracts of infl. strongly imbricate. 

 speciosa, Hook. (Tilldndsia splendens, Hort. T. 

 picta, Hort. T. ztbrina, Hort., in part). Fig. 3968. 



Strong-growing plant, with broad, strong, arching- 

 ascending Ivs. 1 ft. or more long, which are bright green 

 and marked with dark brown transverse bands: spike 

 with densely imbricated bright red acuminate bracts, 

 the scape spotted: fls. exserted, yellowish white. 

 Guiana. B.M. 4382. F.S. 2:107; 6, p. 162. R.H. 1846: 

 41. F.W. 1874:33 (as V. brachystachys).Ojie of the 

 best and most showy species. A robust form is var. 

 major, Hort. See supplementary list below for addi- 

 tional note on V. zebrina. 



\ -= 



3968. Vriesia speciosa. 



3969. Vriesia carinata. 



carinata, Wawra (V. brachystachys, Regel. Tilldnd- 

 sia carinata, Baker). Fig. 3969. Lvs. rosulate, about 

 6 in. long, the base sheathing, mucronate at the tip, 

 somewhat glaucous, not spotted: spike with wide- 

 spreading nearly divaricate acuminate bracts which are 

 scarlet at the base and yellowish green at the end: fls. 

 protruding, pale yellow. Brazil. B.M. 6014. 



cc. Bracts of infl. remote, not imbricate. 



guttata, land. & Andre (TiJldndsia guttata, Baker). 

 Lvs. rosulate, erect-arching, short and rather broad, 

 mucronate, olive-green with irregular spots of brown- 

 purple: bracts farinose, rose-colored, the scape slender: 

 fis. yellow. Brazil. I.H. 22:200. 



psittacina, Lindl. (Tilldndsia psittacina, Hook.). 

 About 1 ft. high when in bloom: Ivs. rosulate, 6-10 in. 

 long, dilated at the base, yellowish green: fls. large, 

 yellow with green tips, scattered on a distichous spike, 

 the bracts red at the base and vellow at the top. Brazil. 

 B.R. 29:10, where the genus "is founded. B.M. 2841. 

 R.H. 1855:221. A showy species when in bloom. 



AA. Stamens shorter than the petals. 

 B. Lvs. not barred, mottled, or tessellated. 



heliconioides, Lindl. (V. bellula, Hort. 

 Tilldndsia heliconioides, HBK.). Dwarf 

 and tufted, with many rosulate recurv- 

 ing or arching lanceolate Ivs. (about 12 

 in. long) which are bright green above 

 and purple-tinged beneath: scape over- 

 topping the foliage, simple and erect, 

 with wide -spreading distichous boat- 

 shaped bracts that are light red at the 

 base and greenish at the tip, showy: fls. 

 white. Colombia. I.H. 30:490. G.C. II. 21:140. 



BB. Lvs. tessellated (marked in small checkerwork) or 

 minutely variegated. 



tessellata, Morr. (Tilldndsia tessellata, Lind.). Lvs. 

 short and rather broad, rosulate, dilated at base, short- 

 pointed, rather stiff, channeled, tessellated with green 

 and yellow: infl. paniculate, the greenish bracts remote: 

 fis. yellow. Brazil. I.H. 21:179. R.H. 1889, p. 573. 



fenestralis, Lind. & Andre (Tilldndsia fenestrdlis, 

 Hook. f.). Robust, densely tufted, the Ivs. stout (1-2 ft. 



