Bromeliad Flower

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 6:01 am

This is a Bromeliad plant I have in my terrarium with the mini orchids. Has been blooming all week. The flowers (one or two at a time) come up out of the water in the center and last about a day. The whole plant is 6" in Diameter and the flower is 3/4" (on the small side for a bromeliad). Most bromeliads are Epiphytes. An Epiphyte is any plant that grows upon or is attached to another living plant. They are not parasitic, they get all their moisture & food from whatever falls on them from the tree. I also have a small collection of TILLANDSIAS, (also known as airplants) which are also in the Bromeliad family. very good website here for info. http://www.fcbs.org/

MacroLuv · Post by **MacroLuv** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 4:01 pm

Wow! I like Bromeliads plants and Tillandsias too.

Great violet blue and dark red colors contrast. And additional charm of water drops!

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 5:01 pm

You know I would like to start something similar to an aquarium or a terrarium. Only I would like to be able duplicate the chemical conditions of the early oceans and atomosphere. During the 1950's a gentleman named Stanly Miller did just that and he provided an energy source in the form of electric sparks, to generate chemical reactions within the created environment. He found that when warm water and gases containing the compounds suspected to have been in the early oceans and the earth's primordial atmosphere were subjected to sparks for about a week...organic compounds were formed!

Now isn't that just neat?

Just imgine Igor, raising up a terrarium... from the dawn of time. Maybe even producing the protozoan Lacrymaria olar the size of a timber rattler, able to strike twelve times the length of its body and tearing away the soft flesh of its prey, from the pinkish white bone which lies underneath!

Great image Doug and thanks for the link!

Carl_Constantine · Post by **Carl_Constantine** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 8:36 pm

Wow, that sure is purdy. I love the color contrast between the lilac color and the deep red/burgandy. Very nice picture.

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 9:14 pm

Thanks for the comments everyone. I wish I lived down south where I could grow these plants out doors all year long. This plant is Neoregelia "Fireball" and has a pretty interesting history if you care to read about it...http://fcbs.org/articles/fireball.htm. I want a garden like this somewere tropical

Take care
http://www.fcbs.org/pictures/princemain.htm

PeglegOS · Post by **PeglegOS** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 6:25 am

Ken,

Your description scare the beejeepers out of me.

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 2:56 pm

If you have ever observed Lacrymaria through the microscope, you would be amazed at the ravinous way it feeds, just exactly as I described. Their mouths are on the end of an extremely long neck; which stated by many protozoologists, can extend at least twelve times the cell or body length to tear off the flesh of passers by during feeding.

crocoite · Post by **crocoite** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 11:19 pm

beetleman wrote:I want a garden like this somewere tropical

Nice shot Doug. We aren't exactly tropical, but we have had bushfires over the last few days...

Cyclops · Post by **Cyclops** » Sat Oct 14, 2006 7:11 am

Nice Brom flowers, theyre tiny things arent they!
Never tried growing a Brom(tried everything else i reckon!)