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Background: Bromeliads with water-impounding tanks uptake water and nutrients by the leaf-absorbing trichomes present on the leaf surface while the compact root system functions as for plant anchorage on other plants. However, recent studies showed a clear role of the bromeliad roots in nutrient absorption and subsequently improving plant growth. Aims: Accordingly, the present study aimed to compare the uptake and assimilation of inorganic and organic nitrogen by roots and leaf-absorbing trichomes of silver vase bromeliad (Aechmea fasciata). Methods: As treatments, plants were fertilized with 0, 15 or 30 mM nitrogen (N) as either urea or ammonium nitrate applied into the tank or on the substrate (roots). Dry biomass, number of leaves, macro and micronutrient contents in leaves, chlorophylls a, b, and total carotenoids were determined. In addition, gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, and nitrogen efficiency indexes were analyzed. Results: The results showed that ammonium nitrate is taken up either by leaf-absorbing trichomes and or by roots of silver vase bromeliad. Plants fertilized with ammonium nitrate had an increase in leaf nitrogen content with the increase of nitrogen concentrations on tank. However, these increases did not result in biomass accumulation or changes in the photosynthetic apparatus. Conclusions: Our results showed that the roots of silver vase bromeliad are more efficient for inorganic nitrogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bromeliaceae arose in the Early Cretaceous, diverging from Typhaceae at ca. 125 Ma. After an apparent evolutionary stasis of 100 million years, they have undergone a high diversification starting in the Miocene. By adding fossils to the phylogenies, one can infer dates of arising and the divergence of lineages and link them to geological and climatic events. The use of reliable fossils, therefore, can greatly impact the results and interpretation of bromeliads evolution. Here, we present a literature review of the fossils assigned to Bromeliaceae and discuss the gap in the knowledge of these plants' evolutionary history in the light of the poor fossil record. Our survey shows that Karatophyllum bromelioides, from the Pleistocene, is the only reliable fossil among the few fossils assigned to the group. Protananaceae has been proposed since 2005 as a sister group of Bromeliaceae; however, no work has corroborated this placement so far. The lack of information in fossil records contributes to the unsolved evolutionary questions between the rise and diversification of the bromeliads. These aspects influence molecular clock calibration and consequently phylogenetic and biogeographical inferences, requiring an alternative calibration. Additional findings may improve our knowledge by revealing new macro/microfossils for Bromeliaceae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: We investigate the evolutionary mechanisms that allow morphologically convergent lineages to share the same geographical space. We compared the evolutionary events that occurred along the diversification of Karawata and Aechmea subgen. Chevaliera in the Atlantic Forest by (a) verifying whether the climatic niches and habitats of Karawata and Chevaliera are similar; (b) testing whether the two groups had the same pattern of colonization in the Atlantic Forest; and (c) evaluating whether they had the same evolutionary dynamics of environmental space occupation. Location: Brazilian Atlantic Forest Taxon: Karawata and Aechmea subgen. Chevaliera (Bromeliaceae: Bromelioideae) Methods: We explored differences in evolutionary dynamics between Karawata and Chevaliera by (a) analyzing their divergence times using Bayesian inference with a relaxed molecular clock; (b) estimating ancestral ranges and habitats with Dispersion Extinction Cladogenesis Lagrange and Statistical Dispersal Vicariance analyses; (c) testing climatic niche similarity, equivalency and overlap using principal component analysis; and, (d) evaluating shifts in speciation dynamics using Bayesian Analysis of Macroevolutionary Mixtures. Results: Karawata and Chevaliera most likely originated in the Pliocene and diversified during the Pleistocene. The two clades originated in ombrophilous forests and shared a similar environmental space. However, Karawata and Chevaliera show different dynamics in the occupation of geographical and environmental spaces. Main Conclusions: Our results suggest that the São Francisco and Jequitinhonha Rivers acted as geographical barriers for Karawata and Chevaliera. Differences in spatial and environmental evolutionary dynamics have allowed the two groups to occupy similar habitats as well as environmental and geographical spaces in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aechmea novoae Flores-Arg., L'opez-Ferr. & Espejo, an epiphytic species distributed in the municipalities of Cabo Corrientes, La Huerta, and Puerto Vallarta in the state of Jalisco, Mexico, is described and illustrated. Morphologically, the new taxon resembles A. mexicana Baker and A. lueddemanniana (K. Koch) Brongn. ex Mez. A comparative table, figures, and a distribution map of the three species are included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phylogenetics work revealed that Aechmea subg. Chevaliera is not a monophyletic group. Seven species previously assigned to the subgenus form a clade with strong statistical support and in sister position to morphologically distinct members of other genera. We present morphological and phylogenetic evidence to segregate these seven species in a new genus named Karawata, which requires the following new combinations: Karawata depressa, Karawata gustavoi, Karawata hostilis, Karawata multiflora, Karawata nigribracteata, Karawata prasinata, and Karawata saxicola. Description of the new genus and its seven species, as well as a key for identification, distribution maps, and illustrations are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In bromeliads, nothing is known about the associations fungi form with seeds and seedling roots. We investigated whether fungal associations occur in the seeds and seedling roots of two epiphytic Aechmea species, and we explored whether substrate and fungal associations contribute to seed germination, and seedling survival and performance after the first month of growth. We found a total of 21 genera and 77 species of endophytic fungi in the seeds and seedlings for both Aechmea species by Illumina MiSeq sequencing. The fungal associations in seeds were found in the majority of corresponding seedlings, suggesting that fungi are transmitted vertically. Substrate quality modulated the germination and growth of seedlings, and beneficial endophytic fungi were not particularly crucial for germination but contributed positively to survival and growth. Overall, this study provides the first evidence of an endophytic fungal community in both the seeds and seedlings of two epiphytic bromeliads species that subsequently benefit plant growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new species of Bromelioideae (Bromeliaceae) from the Colombian Amazon are described: Aechmea cardenasii and A. andaquiensis. Aechmea cardenasii is significantly different from other species of Bromelioideae, although it roughly resembles A. rubiginosa because of its simple, strobilate inflorescence. Aechmea andaquiensis belongs to a taxonomic complex that includes A. abbreviata, A. angustifolia, and A. roeseliae, but it is unique among these species due to its oblong-spathulate leaf blades and short inflorescences with densely floccose-ferruginous floral bracts. Additionally, an unexpected record of the Chocó-centered genus Ronnbergia in the eastern Andean slopes of Caquetá is reported. Finally, a short discussion is provided about the problematic usage of binomials of Streptocalyx instead of Aechmea for taxonomic catalogues. This discussion is based on the necessity to add A. confusa to the Catalogue of Colombian Plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Pollen morphology characterization is important in taxonomy, conservation and plant breeding, and pollen viability studies can support breeding programs. This study investigated pollen morphology and male fertility in 18 species of Bromeliaceae with ornamental potential. For morphological characterization, pollen grains were acetolyzed and characterization of exine was done using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Pollen viability was investigated by in vitro germination and histochemical tests. Species belonging to Aechmea and Ananas genera presented medium size pollen, except for Ae. fasciata, with large pollen. Al. nahoumii, P. sagenarius and the Vriesea species analyzed showed large pollen, except for V. carinata, with very large pollen. Pollen of Aechmea, Ananas and P. sagenarius presented bilateral symmetry, diporate, exine varying from tectate to semitectate. Al. nahoumii and Vriesea species presented pollen with bilateral symmetry, monocolpate; exine was semitectate, reticulate and heterobrochate. Germination percentage and tube growth were greater in SM and BKM media. Histochemical tests showed pollen viability above 70% for all species, except for Ananas sp. (40%). Pollen morphology is important for the identification of species, especially in this family, which contains a large number of species. High rates of viability favor fertilization and seed production, essential for efficient hybrid production and conservation.

Durante o estudo taxonômico do gênero Aechmea Ruiz & Pav. no estado do Paraná, Brasil, Aechmea guaratubensis E. Pereira não foi encontrada em campo ou herbários, com exceção do holotypus. Este nome é proposto aqui como nova sinonímia de Aechmea recurvata (Klotzsch) L.B.Sm. Por outro lado, Aechmea triangularis L.B.Sm., conhecida até então como endêmica do estado do Espírito Santo, é registrada pela primeira vez no estado do Paraná.

Plant hybridization allows for the creation of new genotypes playing a strategic role in the development of new cultivars of interest for the horticultural trade, and is a central phenomenon in plant speciation processes. We worked with a plant family known as a case of Neotropical adaptive radiation, characterizing the reproductive systems selected species. This study aimed to identify the reproductive systems of sixteen bromeliad species, and to evaluate potential reproductive barriers in interspecific and intergeneric crosses. A total of 931 interspecific and intergeneric hybridization crosses were conducted in 80 different combinations involving 16 species belonging to five genera Aechmea , Ananas , Pseudananas , Alcantarea, and Vriesea . Reproductive systems were determined by controlled pollinations, and autogamy or self-incompatibility indexes. Fluorescence microscopy was used to evaluate pollen tube growth in the pistil. Seed germination was evaluated for each treatment. Over half of the species showed evidences of self-incompatibility: Aechmea bicolor , Ae. fasciata , Ae. nudicaulis , Ananas ananassoides , An. bracteatus , An. lucidus , An. parguazensis , Vriesea carinata , and V. paraibica . Among the self-compatible species, Ae. bromeliifolia , Ae. distichantha, and Pseudananas sagenarius presented autogamy. Alcantarea nahoumii , V. friburgensis , V. michaelii, and V. simplex exhibited no autogamy thus requiring pollinators. Agamospermy was observed in Ae. bromeliifolia, and Ae. distichantha . Crosses were successful in 43% of the attempts, corresponding to 32% of the species of the Ananas genus. Among the intergeneric crosses, only V. michaelii x Al. nahoumii and V. simplex x Al. nahoumii succeeded. Possible causes of self-incompatibility and incongruity in these crosses are related to different impediments to the pollen tube growth, such as an irregular deposition of callose on pollen tube; curling and arrest of pollen tube growth in the style, among others. It is suggested that the self-incompatibility is gametophytic, avoiding self-fertilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The leaf anatomy of the species Aechmea subgenus Macrochordion was analyzed to obtain valuable data on their taxonomic delimitation and to identify anatomical adaptations to their respective habitats and habits. All leaves of these species are hypostomatic, and present: peltate trichomes on both surfaces; stomata sunk in epidermal depressions; small epidermal cells with thick walls and inclusions of silica bodies; a mechanical hypodermis; an aquiferous parenchyma; chlorenchyma with fibrous clusters and air channels; and vascular bundles surrounded by a parenchymatic sheath and a cap of fibers. The results are evaluated within an adaptive and taxonomic context. Variations in hypodermic thickening, amount of water parenchyma, position of the air channels and shape of the cells filling the air channels are useful for delimiting groups of species, strengthening the relationships suggested by their external morphology.A anatomia foliar de espécies de Aechmea subgênero Macrochordion foi analisada visando obter caracteres úteis para sua delimitação taxonômica e identificar adaptações anatômicas aos seus respectivos habitats e hábitos. Todas as folhas são hipoestomáticas e apresentam: tricomas peltados nas duas superfícies; estômatos inseridos em depressões da epiderme; células epidérmicas pequenas, com paredes espessadas e inclusões de corpos de sílica; hipoderme mecânica; parênquima aquífero; clorênquima com feixes de fibras e canais de aeração; feixes vasculares envolvidos por bainha parenquimática e calotas de fibras. Os resultados são avaliados dentro de um contexto adaptativo e taxonômico. Variações no espessamento da hipoderme, na quantidade de parênquima aquífero, na posição dos canais de aeração e na forma das células que preenchem os canais de aeração mostraram-se úteis para separar grupos de espécies, corroborando relações de similaridade apontadas pela morfologia externa.

Este estudo busca caracterizar raízes de Bromeliaceae: Aechmea bromeliifolia, A. castelnavii, A. mertensii (Bromelioideae), Dyckia duckei, D. paraensis, D. racemosa (Pitcairnoideae), Tillandsia adpressiflora, T. didistachae e T. paraensis (Tillandsioideae) ocorrentes nas regiões amazônicas (Mato Grosso-MT), procurando levantar caracteres de valor taxonômico e significado ecológico. As espécies estudadas são epífitas e suas raízes se caracterizam por apresentar velame pluriestratificado, córtex diferenciado, endoderme e periciclo unisseriados, cilindro vascular poliarco e medula com células de paredes espessadas. Estruturas anatômicas como: número de camadas e tipo de espessamento das paredes das células do velame, tipo de espessamento de parede da exoderme e endoderme, presença de idioblastos contendo cristais e número de pólos de protoxilema agrupam as espécies nos diferentes gêneros e subfamílias. A presença de canais de mucilagem no córtex de A. castelnavii relatados pela primeira vez na literatura para Bromeliaceae é caráter diagnóstico. As raízes de Dyckia e Tillandsia apresentam maior número de caracteres comuns, representando maior similaridade entre Pitcairnioideae e Tillandsioideae. Raízes com velame, exoderme com células de paredes espessadas constituindo uma camada mecânica, canais de mucilagem, lacunas de ar no córtex interno e idioblastos com cristais são estruturas adaptativas ao hábito epifítico.This study aimed to characterize the roots of Bromeliaceae, Aechmea bromeliifolia, A. castelnavii, A. mertensii (Bromelioideae), Dyckia duckei, D. paraensis, D. racemosa (Pitcairnoideae), Tillandsia adpressiflora, T. didistachae and T. paraensis (Tillandsioideae), that occur in Amazonian regions (Mato Grosso-MT), in order to find features of taxonomic value and ecological importance. The studied species are epiphytes and their roots are characterized by a multi-layered velamen, differentiated cortex, uniseriate endodermis and pericycle, polyarch vascular cylinder and medulla with thickened cell walls. Anatomical structures, such as the number of layers and kind of cell wall thickening of the velamen, the kind of thickening of the exodermis and endodermis walls, the presence of idioblasts containing crystals and the number of protoxylem poles help seperate these species within different genera and subfamilies. The presence of mucilage canals in the cortex of A. castelnavii is a diagnostic feature. The roots of Dyckia and Tillandsia share more common features, so there is greater similarity between Pitcairnioideae and Tillandsioideae. Roots with velamen, an exodermis with thickened cell walls constituting a mechanical layer, mucilage canals, air gaps in the inner cortex and idioblasts with crystals are structures adapted to the epiphytic habit.

Aechmea subgênero Chevaliera (Gaudich. ex Beer) Baker está representado na Amazônia brasileira pelas espécies A. fernandae (E. Morren) Baker e A. rodriguesiana (L. B. Sm.) L. B. Sm., sendo a última restrita para esta região. A. rodriguesiana se caracteriza pelas flores dispostas em racemo de espigas, com brácteas florais ovais, margens inteiras, envolvendo o ovário e pelas pétalas alvas e cuculadas. O presente trabalho apresenta a complementação da descrição e ilustrações desta espécie. São apresentados dados de distribuição geográfica, hábitats e fenológicos.Aechmea subgenus Chevaliera (Gaudich. ex Beer) Baker, is represented in the Brazilian Amazon by two species: A. fernandae (E. Morren) Baker and A. rodriguesiana (L. B. Sm.) L. B. Sm., the latter being restricted to this region. A. rodriguesiana is characterized by flowers arranged on racemes of spikes, oval floral bracts with entire margins that completely surround the ovary, and by cuculate white petals. The present work has as main goal to complement the description and illustration of this species, exclusive to the Brazilian Amazon, allowing its recognition and conservation. Data on geographical distribution, habitat, and phenology are presented.

The disjunct geographical distributions of species between the Amazon and Atlantic forests have been used as evidence of past connections through the interior of north-eastern Brazilian as a result of climate fluctuations. Here we test this hypothesis for the first time using plant species with disjunct geographical distributions and ecological niche modelling. We generated ecological niche models for two Aechmea spp. using two different modelling methods. These models were projected onto mid-Holocene and Last Interglacial climate scenarios and the results were calculated for each species separately. Our results show that the connection between the Amazon and Atlantic forests was along the coastal region of north-eastern Brazil. This result contradicts the currently most widely accepted paradigm explaining the biogeographic connections between the Amazon and Atlantic forests through non-coastal forest formations. Our results are supported by molecular records of several other biological groups and with recently re-evaluated floristic studies. However, the variations found in our analyses highlight the fact that different species can show distinct biogeographic histories, reinforcing the importance of species-specific analyses in palaeodistribution modelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to present the species of Bromeliaceae that occur at canga vegetation of Serra dos Carajás, in the state of Pará, Brazil. Six genera and 13 species of Bromeliaceae are recorded for the area. Aechmea was the most representative genus with five species, followed by Bromelia, Pitcairnia, and Tillandsia, with two species each. None of the Bromeliaceae species registered in the region are threatened. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morphoanatomical characterization of the stigma of different species has provided important data for the taxonomy of Bromeliaceae. Stigma receptivity is fundamental for the effectiveness of reproduction in plants, and the production of hybrids by controlled pollination. This study aimed to characterize stigma morphoanatomy of 18 Bromeliaceae species, from five genera, by means of light and scanning electron microscopy, and to determine the stigma receptivity of these species. The species investigated were: Aechmea bicolor , Aechmea bromeliifolia , Aechmea distichantha , Aechmea fasciata , Aechmea nudicaulis , Ananas sp., Ananas ananassoides , Ananas bracteatus , Ananas lucidus , Ananas parguazensis , Alcantarea nahoumii , Pseudananas sagenarius , Vriesea carinata , Vriesea friburgensis , Vriesea michaelii , Vriesea paraibica , Vriesea simplex and Vriesea unilateralis . Three methods were used comparatively to determine stigma receptivity during floral opening: hydrogen peroxide, benzidine and α-naphthyl acetate. Two stigma types were observed: conduplicate-spiral in Aechmea , Ananas , Alcantarea and Pseudananas and convolute-blade in Vriesea . The stigma is trifid, formed by a unistratified epidermis, parenchyma with numerous idioblasts containing raphides, and three vascular bundles, one for each carpel. In the conduplicate-spiral stigmas type, the inner epidermal cells contain dense cytoplasm and a prominent nucleus, a characteristic not observed in the convolute-blade stigmas type. The stigmatic papillae vary according to species, as well as the presence of an ornamented cuticle. The longest pistil length was observed in A. nahoumii (91.75 mm) and shortest in A. bromeliifolia (4.19 mm). Higher stigma receptivity is observed at anthesis for the species studied, with the highest receptivity at 8 am and remaining receptive until noon, with the exception of V. unilateralis , for which the greatest receptivity was observed at midnight and extended until dawn. The use of α-naphthyl acetate was the most efficient methodology for the detection of stigma receptivity, and to identify the receptive areas of the stigma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aechmea subgenus Ortgiesia comprises ca. 20 species distributed in Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, with a center of diversity in the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest. We examined interspecific relationships of Ortgiesia based on Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLP). Ninety-six accessions belonging to 14 species of Ortgiesia were sampled, and genotyped with 11 AFLP primer combinations. The neighbor joining (NJ) tree depicted two main genetic groups within Aechmea subgenus Ortgiesia , and four subgroups. The NJ tree showed short internal branches, indicating an overall shallow genetic divergence among Ortgiesia species as expected for the recently radiated subfamily Bromelioideae. Our results suggest that hybridization and/or incomplete lineage sorting may have hampered the reconstruction of interspecific relationships in Aechmea subgenus Ortgiesia . The mapping of petal color (yellow, blue, pink, or white), inflorescence type (simple or compound), and inflorescence shape (ellipsoid, subcylindric, cylindric, or pyramidal) against the NJ tree indicated that these characters are of limited taxonomic use in Aechmea subgenus Ortgiesia due to homoplasy. An analysis of the current distribution of Ortgiesia identified the southern region of the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest, between latitudes of 26° and 27°S, as the center of diversity for the subgenus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

O estudo da estrutura foliar de Aechmea bromeliifolia (Rudge) Baker, A. distichantha Lem., A. ornata Baker, A. nudicaulis (L.) Griseb., A. pectinata Baker, A. coelestis (K. Koch) E. Morren, A. cylindrata Lindm. e A. gracilis Lindm. mostrou que, em todas as espécies, as folhas são hipoestomáticas e revestidas por células epidérmicas de paredes sinuosas e portadoras de corpos silicosos. Apresentam também hipoderme mecânica e aqüífera, escamas nas duas superfícies e canais de aeração, interrompidos por diafragmas de células braciformes, no parênquima clorofiliano. A ocorrência restrita de algumas características permitiu elaborar uma chave de identificação para os representantes estudados. Tais características incluem a ocorrência de grupos de fibras extravasculares, de parênquima paliçádico adaxial, de extensão de bainha nos feixes vasculares de menor calibre, de obstrução nas câmaras subestomáticas, além de variação na espessura da hipoderme aqüífera e no número de células que formam o pedículo das escamas.The leaf anatomy of Aechmea bromeliifolia (Rudge) Baker, A. distichantha Lem., A. ornata Baker, A. nudicaulis (L.) Griseb., A. pectinata Baker, A. coelestis (K. Koch) E. Morren, A. cylindrata Lindm. and A. gracilis Lindm. was studied. All the leaves are hypostomatic and they present: sinuous walls epidermal cells with silica bodies; aquiferous and mechanical hypodermis; scales on both adaxial and abaxial surfaces; and chlorenchyma with air canals filled with braciforms cells. The restricted occurence of some features allowed us to elaborate a identification key for the studied species. Such characteristics include the presence of extravascular fibrous groups; adaxial palisade parenchyma; smaller vascular bundles with conspicuous extensions of the bundle sheath; oclusion in the substomatic chambers; variation in the thickness of the aquiferous hypodermis, and in the number of stalks cells of the scales.

Foram registradas dez espécies do gênero Aechmea no Estado de Pernambuco: A. aquilega (Salisb.) Griseb., A. eurycorymbus Harms, A. fulgensBrongn., A. lingulata (L.) Baker, A. mertensü(G. Mey.) Schult. f., A. mulfordii L. B. Sm., A. murícata(Arruda) L. B. Sm., A. stelligera L. B. Sm., A. tomentosa M&z e A. werdermannii Harms. Duas espécies são endêmicas (A. murícata e A. werdermannii) e uma nova ocorrência (A. stelligerd) foi referida para Pernambuco. São apresentados chave, descrições, ilustrações e comentários das espécies estudadas.A taxonomic study of the genus Aechmea ofPernambuco, Brazil was done. Ten species were found: A. aquilega (Salisb.) Griseb., A. euryccrymhusHarms, A.fulgensBrongn., A. lingulataXL.) Baker, A. mertensii(G. Mey.) Schult. f., A. mulfordiih. B. Sm., A. murícata (Arruda) L. B. Sm., A. stelligera L. B. Sm., A. tomentosa Mez and A werdermannii Harms. Aechmea murícata and A. werdermannii are endemic, and A. stelligera is a new records for Pernambuco State. Key, descriptions, comments and illustrations of the species are included.

Many tank bromeliads have facultative relationships with ants as is the case in French Guiana between Aechmea aquilega (Salib.) Griseb. and the trap-jaw ant, Odontomachus haematodus Linnaeus. Using a redundancy analysis, we determined that the presence of O. haematodus colonies is accompanied by a greater quantity of fine particulate organic matter in the water likely due to their wastes. This increase in nutrient availability is significantly correlated with an increase in the abundance of some detritivorous taxa, suggesting a positive bottom-up influence on the aquatic macroinvertebrate communities living in the A. aquilega wells. On the other hand, the abundance of top predators is negatively affected by a lower number of available wells due to ant constructions for nesting, releasing a top-down pressure that could also favor lower trophic levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Serra dos Órgãos National Park (PARNASO) constitutes one of the largest remnants of the Brazilian rainforest in Rio de Janeiro state. In this biome, Bromeliaceae has one of its main centers of diversity, with 31 genera and 803 species, being more than 500 belonging to the subfamily Bromelioideae. As a part of the project Bromeliaceae organensis in development in the Departament of Botany of the Museu Nacional- UFRJ, the present work aims to inventory the species of Aechmea, Billbergia, Hohenbergia and Quesnelia on PARNASO, providing the morphological description of the species and an identification key, in addition to data about its distribution, general and inside the park. The taxonomic study was carried on through the analysis of the dried specimens, collections and field observations. Six species of Aechmea, five of Billbergia, one of Hohenbergia and four of Quesnelia, were revealed. Although well represented in number of species, Billbergia counts with a poor number of herbarium records, with four of them referenced by one or little more individuals in the collections. The locality also houses populations of endemic species of Rio de Janeiro state, like A. wellbachii, A. fasciata, Q. lateralis and Q. edmundoi var. edmundoi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species ofLarsiaFittkau, 1962, viz.Larsia angusticornissp. n., is described and adults and immatures are figured. The study is based on larvae collected from phytotelmata of the bromeliadAechmea distichanthaLemaire, 1853 in northeastern Argentina that were reared to the adult stage. The pupa bears thoracic horns unusual for the genus, which distinguish this new species from otherLarsiaspecies. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:41DFD96D-98E2-4FFC-9CDE-C290BCA84D45 [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

During a taxonomic study of the genus Aechmea Ruiz & Pav. in the Paraná State, Brazil, Aechmea guaratubensis E. Pereira was not found in fieldworks or in herbarium collections, unless by the holotypus. This name is proposed here as a new synonym of Aechmea recurvata (Klotzsch) L.B.Sm. Moreover, Aechmea triangularis L.B.Sm., known as endemic from Espírito Santo State, is recorded for the first time in the Paraná State. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we present the first study, in which a large number of different vascular epiphyte species were measured for their photosynthetic performance in the natural environment of their phorophyte in the lowland rainforest of French Guyana. More than 70 epiphyte species covered the host tree in a dense cover. Of these, the photosynthesis of 16 abundant species was analyzed intensely over several months. Moreover, the light environment was characterized with newly developed light sensors that recorded continuously and with high temporal resolution light intensity next to the epiphytes. Light intensity was highly fluctuating and showed great site specific spatio-temporal variations of photosynthetic photon flux. Using a novel computer routine we quantified the integrated light intensity the epiphytes were exposed to in a 3-hour window and we related this light intensity to measurements of the actual photosynthetic status. It could be shown that the photosynthetic apparatus of the epiphytes was well adapted to the quickly changing light conditions. Some of the epiphytes were chronically photoinhibited at pre-dawn and significant acute photoinhibition, expressed by a reduction of potential quantum efficiency (Fv/Fm)30’, was observed during the day. By correlating (Fv/Fm)30’ to the integrated and weighted light intensity perceived during the previous 3 hours, it became clear that acute photoinhibition was related to light environment prior to the measurements. Additionally photosynthetic performance was not determined by rain events, with the exception of an Aechmea species. This holds true for all the other 15 species of this study and we thus conclude that actual photosynthesis of these tropical epiphytes was determined by the specific and fluctuating light conditions of their microhabitat and cannot be simply attributed to light adapted ancestors.

Se presenta la lista de las especies de Aechmea (Bromeliaceae: Bromelioideae) para Colombia, en la que se incluyen algunos comentarios taxonómicos y sobre su distribución geográfica y altitudinal. Se registran 42 especies para Colombia, de las cuales tres son nuevas para la ciencia, siete son endémicas (A. anomala, A. nivea, A. stenosepala, A. subpetiolata y las tres especies nuevas) y tres son nuevos registros para el país (A. politii, A. retusa y A. tocantina). La mayor parte de las especies se concentran en la región amazónica (con el 61 % de las especies) y andina (54 %), así como en las subregiones llanura amazónica (54 %), vertiente magdalenense (34 %), otras serranías de la Amazonía (32 %) y la vertiente oriental andina (29 %). Por otra parte, las especies se distribuyen entre 0 y 2.400 m de altitud, pero la mayor riqueza se encontró entre 0 y 600 m, punto a partir del cual se presenta una disminución gradual en el número de especies con respecto a la altitud. Así, Colombia se convierte en el segundo país del mundo con más especies de Aechmea, después de Brasil, la mayor parte de las cuales prefieren los bosques húmedos de tierras bajas.

Abstract: Bromeliads are among the most economically important potted ornamentals, however little is available about genetic variability among bromeliad cultivars or hybrids for breeding purposes. In this study, genetic relatedness among cultivars and selected hybrids of Aechmea bromeliad was investigated using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers and pedigree data. Eight AFLP primer combinations produced 1498 DNA fragments, of which 1465 (97.8%) were polymorphic. The AFLP-based genetic similarity ranged from 0.20 to 0.61 and averaged 0.33, while the corresponding pedigree-based coefficient of coancestry varied from 0 to 0.5, with an average of 0.07. This reveals large variability and genetic diversity among the investigated Aechmea bromeliads. The AFLP-based cluster analysis grouped the Aechmea bromeliads well according to their breeding years and ancestors, whereas pedigree-based cluster analysis divided the Aechmea bromeliads corresponding only to their ancestors. Additionally, the AFLP-based genetic similarity followed a normal distribution, while pedigree-based coefficient of coancestry displayed a skewed distribution. A significant though moderate correlation (r =0.35, P <0.001) and a significant linear relationship with low coefficient of determination (R 2 =0.12) were observed between the two measures. This indicates that AFLP is more effective in quantifying genetic relatedness among Aechmea bromeliads. The present study provides useful implications for the efficient conservation and utilization of bromeliad germplasm. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Quesnelia is an endemic genus of the Atlantic Forest in Brazil. It features 21 species and three varieties that are distributed from Santa Catarina to Bahia, with diversity centers in the Rio de Janeiro coastal region and the rainforest of southern Bahia. It is divided into the subgenera Quesnelia subg. Quesnelia and Quesnelia subg. Billbergiopsis. In this study, the leaf anatomy of all species of Quesnelia is characterized and compared by multivariate analysis to determine whether leaf anatomy confirms this subgeneric division. The results demonstrate that leaf anatomy supports the existence of three distinct groups of species now classified under the genus Quesnelia. When compared to other species, the first group, which is represented by five Billbergiopsis taxa, is characterized by distinct anatomical arrangement, where the stomata are positioned at the same level as the epidermis, the water storage tissue is poorly developed, and extra-fascicular fiber strands are distributed throughout the mesophyll. The remaining groups support the subgenera Quesnelia and Billbergiopsis, which differ basically in terms of the contour of the leaf in transverse sections, size and cell type of the adaxial water storage tissue, and the presence of extra-fascicular fiber strands. Comparing with anatomical data available in the literature for Bromelioideae, these results indicate the similarity of Quesnelia with Aechmea, Canistrum and Billbergia, which corroborates morphological and molecular phylogenies, and thus support future taxonomic circumscriptions of these important genera from the core Bromelioideae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Abstract: We developed a phylogeny of the core Bromelioideae including Aechmea and related genera, with the specific goals of investigating the monophyly of Aechmea and its allied genera, redefining monophyletic lineages for taxonomic revision, and investigating the biogeographic history of the group. Chloroplast, nuclear ribosomal, and low copy nuclear DNA sequences from 150 species within the Bromelioideae were used to develop the phylogeny. Phylogenies constructed with the combined four gene dataset provided sufficient resolution for investigating evolutionary relationships among species. Many genera are nested within Aechmea, or are rendered para- or polyphyletic by inclusion of Aechmea species. Several genera and subgenera of Aechmea with species in disjunct geographic locations are found to be polyphyletic, divided into separate clades that reflect geographic distribution rather than morphological similarity. This suggests that certain morphological characteristics thought to be indicative of common ancestry have instead evolved multiple times in parallel (i.e. ecological conservatism), possibly indicative of local adaptations to an epiphytic habit across the range of the Bromelioideae. These apparently homoplastic morphological characters used to assign species to genera or subgenera may be useful taxonomically when geography is also taken into account. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In southern Brazil, we frequently observed inflorescences of two bromeliad species, Aechmea lindenii and A. nudicaulis, being visited by ants. We recorded the species spectrum and frequency of ants on inflorescences by examining more than 200 plants in three habitats to assess whether they were specifically associated to the bromeliad flowers. We recorded up to 36 associated ant species at A. lindenii and seven at A. nudicaulis, with non-plateauing species accumulation curves. Three species richness estimators (ICE, Jack2, and Chao2) indicated 40-46 species for A. lindenii in secondary forest. Ant species of the genera Crematogaster and/or Camponotus were always among the most frequent. To explain the association of bromeliad flowers with such a high richness of ant species we tested two hypotheses: (1) ants exploit extrafloral nectar on the flowers or (2) ants hunt for abundant hummingbird-transported flower mites that likely effect plant reproduction by feeding on nectar and pollen. After excluding all flower visitors we recorded for the first time the production of extrafloral nectar at the sepal tips of the two Aechmea species from early buds to the early fruiting period. Ants were present at 88% of all inflorescences during that period. In contrast, flower mites could only be found as soon as the first flowers had opened, that is, when the inflorescences had already been visited by ants for several days. Quantitative behavioral analyses of worker ants on A. lindenii inflorescences revealed that they spent 42% of their time inspecting the sepal tips. Preying on mites was rarely observed. We conclude that the extrafloral nectar secreted at the sepal tips constitutes the main target for a high diversity of unspecialized ants. Nevertheless, the ants might ultimately serve the bromeliads by reducing the mites' impact on plant fitness. No sul do Brazil frequentemente observamos inflorescencias de duas especies de bromelias, Aechmea lindenii e A. nudicaulis, sendo visitadas por formigas. Registramos as especies de formigas e as suas frequencias nas inflorescencias de mais de 200 plantas, em tres tipos de habitat, para testar se elas foram especificamente associadas com flores de bromelias. Registramos ate 36 especies de formigas associadas a A. lindenii e sete associadas a A. nudicaulis, com curvas de acumulacao de especies nao alcancando um plato. Tres estimadores de riqueza (ICE, Jack2, e Chao2) indicaram 40-46 especies para A. lindenii em floresta secundaria. Especies dos generos Crematogaster e/ou Camponotus sempre estiveram entre as mais frequentes. Para testar a associacao de flores de bromelias com a alta riqueza de especies de formigas nos testamos duas hipoteses: (1) formigas usam nectar extrafloral das flores ou (2) formigas atacam os acaros muito abundantes, transportados por beija-flores, e que possivelmente interferem na reproducao das plantas por consumirem nectar e polen. Excluindo todos os visitantes florais, registramos pela primeira vez a producao de nectar extrafloral nas pontas das sepalas das duas especies de Aechmea no periodo de botoes jovens ate o inicio da frutificacao. Formigas estiveram presentes em 88% de todas as inflorescencias neste periodo. Em contraste, acaros em flores foram encontrados somente assim que as primeiras flores abriram, momento em que as inflorescencias ja tinham sido visitadas pelas formigas ha varios dias. Analises quantitativas do comportamento das formigas operarias em inflorescencias de A. lindenii revelaram que elas ficaram 42% do seu tempo inspecionando as pontas das sepalas. Predacao por acaros foi observada raramente. Concluimos que o nectar extrafloral secretado nas pontas das sepalas constitue o principal alvo para uma alta riqueza de formigas nao-especializadas. Contudo, as formigas poderiam, em ultima analise, beneficiar as bromelias reduzindo o impacto dos acaros sobre as plantas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anew combination, Werauhia montana is proposed and their relationships whit W. nephrolepis are discussed. Aechmea bromeliifolia, Pitcairnia maidifolia, and Tillandsia balbisiana are reported for first time in El Salvador. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An inventory of the invertebrate fauna found in the leaf crown and phytotelm of tank bromeliads (Aechmea lingulata and Hohenbergia ramageana) was carried out in the Parque Estadual Dunas do Natal (Natal Dune State Park or NDSP), Natal, Rio Grande do Norte State, northeastern Brazil . A total of 874 invertebrate specimens were obtained, belonging in 33 taxa within the Mollusca, Annelida, Arachnida, Myriapoda, and Insecta, and most of the taxonomic determinations reported were taken to rank of family. Insects and chelicerates were the most taxonomic diverse and abundant taxa (mature and immature forms considered). Immature forms were recorded for 15 taxa, indicating a significant role of tank bromeliads as a breeding site. Larvae of scirtid beetles (Insecta, Coleoptera) were the most abundant group recorded in the present inventory. Detritivore, predator, and herbivore feeding guilds were recorded. The detritivore guild was the most representative both in number of taxa and abundance, indicating a detritus-processing food chain community. The relevance of inventorying and monitoring bromeliad--inhabiting biota as a tool for environmental risk assessment is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which evaluates the phylogeny of the genus Quesnelia and assess the subgeneric delimination and the relationships of its species to other genera in Brazil. A phylogenetic analysis was done based on parsimony which included 33 taxa, with 92 morphological characters to assess the genus' monophyly. Results indicate that considering the subgeneric classification, Quesnelia subgenus Quesnelia appeared as monophyletic and Quesnelia subgenus Billbergiopsis as polyphyletic.

The description and illustrations of a new species of Aechmea Ruiz & Pav. from Los Pijiguaos area, state of Bolívar, Venezuela, is submitted. Aechmea bauxilumii is related to A. castelnavii Baker, but it differs in its terrestrial habit, non bulb-shaped leaf base, greater number of scape bracts, looser frutescence, and reflexed leaf tip. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Three ornamental bromeliads, i.e. Aechmea ‘Maya’ (CAM), Aechmea fasciata ‘Primera’ (CAM) and Guzmania ‘Hilda’ (C3) were grown under greenhouse conditions at ambient (380ppm) and elevated (750ppm) CO2. The effects of long-term exposure (34 weeks) to elevated CO2 on growth and morphological traits constituting the ornamental value were assessed. Aechmea ‘Maya’ and A. fasciata ‘Primera’ showed a different growth response to elevated CO2 exposure. Aechmea ‘Maya’ showed for both CO2 concentrations an equal biomass enhancement throughout the experimental period. In accordance leaf micromorphology remained unaffected. For A. fasciata ‘Primera’ CO2 fertilisation led to a decreased biomass production (25% less fresh and dry weight) due to a reduced total leaf area (41%) and lower leaf thickness (9%). These responses of both Aechmea hybrids are quite uncommon for CAM plants. Doubling the atmospheric CO2 concentration stimulated growth for Guzmania ‘Hilda’ shown by an increase in total leaf area (34%) and leaf thickness (11%). However, the surplus in biomass production (57% more fresh weight and 69% more dry weight) was gained only in the first 22 weeks of the experiment as afterwards acclimation occurred. For all three bromeliads elevated CO2 exposure led to adverse effects on the ornamental value. Leaves from high CO2 grown plants displayed a visual paler green colour than leaves from control plants due to halving of the total chlorophyll content. Furthermore, allometric relations changed between leaf length and leaf width causing a more compact plant shape. This ultimately resulted in the loss of the typical plant shape for ornamental bromeliads with long and slender leaves. Overall the results in the current study show that long-term exposure to elevated CO2 does not always lead to enhanced biomass production. Moreover it can lead to adverse effects on the ornamental value. Thus, it is apparent that caution is needed with the application of CO2 fertilisation in commercial ornamental cultures. The CO2 plant response can seriously differ among individual species in one family and even in one genus. Therefore it is important to realise that the study of only one representative for a certain plant family or a genus is not adequate to make the proper interpretations concerning general CO2 responses! [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: For decades bromeliad growers have to face severe leaf damage problems occurring as necrotic spots on leaves of sensitive CAM plants such as Aechmea, both in cultivation and transport. These physiological problems mainly arise during the summer period from June to September. Previous research made clear that high malic acid concentrations in the early morning generate the driving force for cellular osmotic uptake of water and can consequently induce lethal turgor pressures in sensitive Aechmea cultivars. Although it is commonly known that CAM and its related metabolites can be influenced by different environmental factors, this relationship is poorly investigated under commercial greenhouse conditions. Therefore the authors carried out four seasonal diurnal experiments with a high leaf damage sensitive Aechmea cultivar spread equally over a 1-year period. Malic acid dynamics revealed that during the critical summer period plants fail to induce malic acid consumption in the early morning causing prolonged high levels of malic acid in the leaves. Moreover, relative water content measurements did confirm that enough water is always available inside the leaves and that even slight changes in water status can be disastrous for the leaves. During the rest of the year malic acid is consumed early in the morning and is not long enough available in the leaf to cause lethal water flow. The comprehension of why this damage induction mechanism is closely related with the summer period is essential to search for possible solutions to prevent the appearance of this physiological leaf damage problem in the future. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In CAM-plants rising levels of malic acid in the early morning cause elevated turgor pressures in leaf chlorenchyma cells. Under specific conditions this process is lethal for sensitive plants resulting in chlorenchyma cell burst while other species can cope with these high pressures and do not show cell burst under comparable conditions. The non-cellulosic polysaccharide composition of chlorenchyma cell walls was investigated and compared in three cultivars of Aechmea with high sensitivity for chlorenchyma cell burst and three cultivars with low sensitivity. Chlorenchyma layers were cut from the leaf and the non-cellulosic carbohydrate fraction of the cell wall fraction was analyzed by gas–liquid chromatography. Glucuronoarabinoxylans (GAXs) were the major non-cellulosic polysaccharides in Aechmea. The fine structure of these GAXs was strongly related to chlorenchyma wall strength. Chlorenchyma cell walls from cultivars with low sensitivity to cell burst were characterized by an A/X ratio of ca. 0.13 while those from cultivars with high sensitivity showed an A/X ratio of ca. 0.23. Xylose chains from cultivars with high cell burst sensitivity were ca. 40% more substituted with arabinose compared to cultivars with low sensitivity for cell burst. The results indicate a relationship in vivo between glucuronoarabinoxylan fine structure and chlorenchyma cell wall strength in Aechmea. The evidence obtained supports the hypothesis that GAXs with low degrees of substitution cross-link cellulose microfibrils, while GAXs with high degrees of substitution do not. A lower degree of arabinose substitution on the xylose backbone implies stronger cell walls and the possibility of withstanding higher internal turgor pressures without cell bursting. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper presents the mitotic chromosome numbers of 18 species of Bromeliaceae. The diploid number 2 n = 50 was observed in Aechmea comata, A. caudata, A. correia-araujoi, A. recurvata, A. marauensis, A. bicolor, A. pineliana, Hohenbergia catingae, H. blanchetti, Alcantarea imperialis, Al. nahoumi, Neoregelia tenebrosa, Nidularium lyman-smithii, N. scheremetiewii, N. innocentii var. innocentii, and N. innocentii × Neoregelia johannis hybrid, whereas 2 n = 34 was observed in Cryptanthus maritimus and C. warren-loosei. All of the determinations presented in this study are previously unpublished, except A. comata and H. catingae. These results confirm x = 25 as the basic number for the family and x = 17 as a secondary basic number probably generated by decreasing dysploidy. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 158, 189–193. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Along eastern Rio Grande do Norte State (northeastern Brazil), the distribution of the bromeliad-dwelling scorpion Tityus neglectus (Buthidae) is restricted to semi-arid coastal restinga and tabuleiro woodland. This scorpion was found in association with terrestrial phytotelm specimens of Aechmea aquilega, A. lingulata and Hohenbergia ramageana (Bromeliaceae). Occupation rate of bromeliad ramets by T. neglectus was highest in restinga habitats. Tittyus neglectus is considered threatened by habitat loss mainly due to deforestation caused by urban sprawl and real estate speculation. The role of public health campaigns against arbovirus mosquito vectors as it relates to the preservation of phytotelm bromeliads in eastern Rio Grande do Norte State is discussed. The collection and exportation of wild bromeliad species for landscaping purposes, besides reducing habitat availability for restinga and tabuleiro populations of T. neglectus, may also lead to accidental introduction of this scorpion into new biogeographical areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]