Tillandsia rutschmannii Rauh

Taxonomic Change:

• Considered a synonym of Tillandsia dyeriana André —See Rauh 1979a p. 27:23-4. 1979.

Comments:

• T. rutschmannii was found only once until now, in fact near Sucua, valley of Sucua, Prov. Morona Santiago (East-Ecuador) in a degraded mountain-forest at 1500 m high. Dr. Rutschmann remarked about the intensive colour of the floral bracts because there is no other comparable Tillandsia. The late Dr. Naundorff, Quito-Ecuador, gave it the name
  " la pintada ", probably because of the flecking of the leaf, as Dr Naundorff had not seen the plant in flower.
  T. rutschmannii, a species of Phytarrhiza, is similar to Tillandsia dyeriana ANDRE and which comes from the same area. See "The Bromeliaceae 0f Ecuador " by A. .J. GILMARTIN (1972) only that the Type locality from Andre (No.4256), Prov. El Oro, approximately 100 m (or thereabouts). We however found T. dyeriana on the old Quito road (Guayaquil-Quevedo-Quito) to 800 m high near Heda. Selva negra, collection No. 34448, and between Bahia and Sto. Domingo, 400 m; collection No. 34883). As far as until today known, T. dyeriana seems to grow in low situations (400-800 m) on the west side of theAndes. Whereas T. rutschmannii up to now only has been found on the east side of the Cordillera.
  Both types have ligulate acuminate dull purple spotted leaves, that from time to time have a simple inflorescence, with floral bracts that are keenly carinate, spreading, 3-4 cm long, Sepals that are only to 23 mm long, scattered lepidote, and white petals.
  The differences from my own observations between both types are the following:
  T. dyeriana always possesses upright, rarely simple, mostly branched inflorescence with 2-3 horizontal from erect, stemmed spikes, green, clearly nerved, at the time of anthesis with floral bracts already drying off straw like and petals drying brown.
  T. rutschmannii is typically unbranched, rarely branched, with spikes oriented horizontally until hanging, that for Tillandsia has a unique brick-red color, smooth, not nerved and at the time of the anthesis floral bracts not drying off nor the intensive postfloral black colouring of the petals.
  Gilmartin describes another near relative to T. dyeriana as T. nubis Gilmartin (1968), about which she says, however: " the resemblance to T. dyeriana Andre is strong and especially according to if one does not take into consideration the dimensions of the floral parts " (S.) 70). The differences between both types are few indeed. The Classification by L. B. Smith (Subkey X) Phytologia 20. No.3, (1970) shows T. dyeriana with the leaf only 2 cm, and T. nubis as 3-4.5 cm wide. After our observations there is no essential differences between both types. With T. dyeriana there is still the spike at the time of the anthesis up to 5.5 cm wide with T. nubis only to 3 cm wide. The essential difference between both types is the relationship floral bracts to sepals. With T. dyeriana (after L. B. Smith) the floral bract is 30-34 mm long and far exceeds the sepal, with T. nubis however it is only 15-21 mm long and roughly as long as the sepal. We could determine that with T. dyeriana admittedly the basal floral bracts of the spike far exceed the sepal, apically they are as short as these. Examinations at Peruvian Tillandsias, for example, from the group of T. purpurea-T. straminea has shown, exactly the long-held relationship of floral bracts to sepals in a population but also at a plant level is quite variable, so that this characteristic is of a low taxonomic importance. It is therefore necessary for further examinations of extensive location-material of T. nubis, which has been called "palma de pais" by Naundorff. Both types, T. dyeriana, and T. nubis, have green floral bracts that dry papery at anthesis.
  The locations for T. nubis are Tandapi (Prov. Pinchina, at 1500 m; Naundorff s.n.), and from A. J. Gilmartin (No. 1186), a cloud-forest-rest at 920 m on the road Guayaquil-El Tambo (Prov). Canar. We ourselves found T. nubis in the coastal cordillera Sierra de Cayo above Jipijapa with Manta at a height of 400 m (No. 34360).
  
  A Final Comparison Of Tillandsia dyeriana with T. venusta by Harry E. Luther in J. Brom. Soc. 34: 108. 1984
  The accompanying illustrations prepared from living plants of documented wild collections at Selby Gardens and my comments are presented for the purpose of ending, finally, the confusion surrounding the identities of Tillandsia dyeriana Andre and T. venusta Mez & Wercle. T. dyeriana has been established in North American and European horticulture for not more than nine or ten years. It is often sold under the synonym T. rutschmannii Rauh (Rauh 1974, 1979). T. venusta, on the other hand, has been in limited cultivation for the past fifteen years at least, but only recently was it correctly determined (Luther, 1982).
  T. dyeriana (fig. 5), from the wet lowlands of western Ecuador, is characterized by small diurnal flowers which turn black after ten to fifteen hours. No scent has been detected from them. The combination of brilliantly colored floral bracts, odorless day flowers, and a rather heliconia-like inflorescence predicts that this species is adapted to hummingbirds as a pollen vector. This condition is a novelty in Tillandsia subgenus Phytarrhiza where all other taxa seem most suited to moth, bee, or, possibly, butterfly pollination.
  T. venusta (fig. 6) has been collected in Costa Rica (the type locality) and western Ecuador, but nearly all of the cultivated material is of Ecuadorian origin. The white, fragrant flowers, larger than those of T. dyeriana, last for up to twenty-four hours and are probably pollinated by nocturnal moths, although the production of fragrance through the day suggests that bees may also be pollinators.
  Both species can be recommended for cultivation. T. venusta seems somewhat easier to manage because it grows well when mounted (with adequate moisture) or potted and given vriesea conditions. T. dyeriana collected plants presented some problems initially and have been most successful when mounted on cork bark. Fully domesticated plantlets will probably be more tolerant. The spectacular coloration of the latter species certainly makes any extra efforts on the part a the grower a worthwhile endeavor. —See Rauh 1973-1991