Re: Catopsis berteroniana

Chris Marsden (100620.2156@compuserve.com)
21 Jan 96 05:35:15 EST

Hi All.
In response to Jen's article asking for information about
Catopsis, I
have absolutely no experience about either Catopsis or Brocchinia.
However, knowing people that do, I have picked up on several points -
Bromeliads can be 'difficult' about setting seed, i.e. it is hard to
pollinate them and they do not always set viable seed. However, please
have a go. I would advise sowing them on a normal CP soil mix (1:1 peat
+ sand) or something similar and transplanting them to normal growing
conditions after they have sprouted. You could, however, try Live
Sphagnum moss or an Orchid bark mixture. In all cases, I advise getting
a GOOD book on Bromeliad reproduction. What I do know for sure is that
both Brocchinia and Catopsis produce 'pups' which are just baby plants
produced on runners from the base of the plant, just like a spider
plant, really. If you pot these pups up in your normal Catopsis
conditions, these will grow to full size in less than 2 years. Catopsis
also dies after flowering and producing pups (the pups are usually
produced after flowering). The buds that you see are probably flowers
if they are produced in the centre of the rosette and are probably pups
if they are produced at the base of the plant.
I hope all this is of some use to you (don't quote me as I can't
be
totally sure about it all). Incidentally, I am desperately looking for
spare Catopsis seeds/plants and Aldrovanda seeds/plants. I wouldn't
mind if anyone had some spare utricularia which I could buy
either....... I wouldn't mind swapping for some small Sarracenia Flava
heavily veined or normal Flava........ I would prefer it if you were in
Europe (ideally in the UK!) as I live in Herefordshire in England. So
long,

Toby Marsden