Submission for News in Brief
D.Harris, Park Ranger
Highlands Hammock State Park
And Lake June in Winter Scrub
Sebring:
Highlands Hammock State Park will hold a “Bromeliad Symposium” at the park’s recreation hall on March 2nd, 2002. Beginning at 8:30am, this daylong education event will offer presentations by several experts in this field. Dennis Cathcart of Tropiflora in Sarasota will speak on Bromeliads as an industry. Harry Luther, the Director of the Bromeliad Center and the Curator of Living Collections for the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens will speak on diversity, distribution and the general ecology of these fascinating species. Dr. J. Howard Frank will discuss the invertebrate animals, including insects, that depend on bromeliads for their survival, and Dr. Barbra Larson will present a slide show on the invasive Mexican Weevil, dubbed the “Evil Weevil”, that is decimating our native populations. Following the presentations, there will be field excursions for seed collecting and plant identification of bromeliads. There is no fee for this event; park admission is $3.25 per vehicle (up to 8 per car). Participants should meet at the Rec. Hall by 8:30am, and may plan to bring a bag lunch or purchase their lunch at the Hammock Inn located inside the park. For more information, please call 386-6094.
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- .We need to collect seeds from the following species: Tillandsia fasciculata, T. balbisiana, T. flexuosa, T. variabilis, T. utriculata (already done)
- We will be holding seed collecting workdays for the community, please consider leading one-it is super easy (no strenuous effort)
- The bromeliad industry is super huge and bromeliads are extremely popular in Europe
- Bromeliads are “biodiversity amplifiers”
- Each single bromeliad can have several “micro-habitats”
- Trichomes-(most advanced hairs of all plants) are specialized hairs that fulfill all the functions that are normally provided via roots (these plants are non-parasitic)
- Bracts are the showy part of the flower, actual flower is within this “shelter”
- Bromeliads are primarily pollinated by hummingbirds
- Spanish moss (Tillandsia usenoides) is pollinated by tiny flies (it has tiny flowers)
- There is a native bromeliad weevil that does not devastate the airplants like the Mexican bromeliad weevil
- Mexican bromeliad weevil (Metamasius callizona) was first found in 1989, was introduced via nursery plants-originated from Veracruz, Mexico
- Flight distance of weevil in unknown-no way to know how devastating it could get
- Will not go further than central Fla. Since there is no T. utriculata, or T. fasciculata north of Central Fla.
- Parasitizing fly from Honduras may be our weapon of choice-uses chemical scents to locate weevil larvae. It’s immature life stage spends it’s time feeding on weevil larvae
- Now under quarantine at U of Fla.-if proven not to affect any other Fla. Native species, it will be released first in areas hardest hit
- 2500 species of bromeliads-60 genera only 16 found in Florida-7 of these at risk from M. callizona
- Things (leaves, sticks, bird droppings) that drop into large bromeliads break down in the central portions of the plant- like a nutrient soup
- There is a species of bromeliad in S. Fla. that is carnivorous!
- DANGER! We could lose 11 species of native bromeliads and 15 species of small creatures that we know almost nothing about, if the weevil cannot be stopped
- Bromeliads belong to the Bromeliaceae family and are members of the Class Liliopsida (monocots). Monocots comprise one quarter of all flowering plants and include some of the largest and most well known groups of plants: orchids, palms & grasses.
- The Family Bromeliaceae is divided into three subfamilies:
Piticairnioideae—includes terrestrial bromeliads (grows on the ground) which rely on extensive root systems for their moisture and nutrients. Generally spiny leaves and dry capsules with small wingless seeds.
Bromelioideae---- this subfamily is the most diverse, containing the greatest number of genera (but least number of species). Most are epiphytic and characterized by a rosette-like form, many forming a water holding tank. Generally spiny leaves, berry-like fruits containing wet seeds.
Tillandsioideae----this subfamily contains very few genera but includes the most number of species. Most members of this subfamily are epiphytes. All have spineless leaves and their fruit is a dry capsule containing winged seeds which are usually dispersed via the breeze.
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