Explore the vast range of titles available.

Aechmea is one of the largest genera of Bromeliaceae, having more than 250 species, and Brazil is its principal center of endemism. We taxonomically examined the species of Aechmea encountered in Paraíba State in northeastern Brazil. Our analyses were based on specimens collected during the present study, as well as examinations of local and regional herbaria collections. Eleven species were encountered to State: Aechmea aquilega, A. chrysocoma, A. costantinii, A. emmerichiae, A. eurycorymbus, A. fulgens, A. leptantha, A. mertensii, A. nudicaulis, A. patentissima, and A. werdermannii. Of those taxa, seven are endemic to northeastern Brazil and five are included within one of the threatened categories according to IUCN criteria, two of them being \"endangered\" and \"critically endangered\". We include here a key to the identification of the species, a list of the materials examined, commentaries concerning the taxonomic affinities of the species based on morphological characters, data concerning their geographic distributions, flowering, fruiting, inferences concerning their conservation statuses, as well as images and drawings indicating their principal characteristics. Resumo: Aechmea é um dos maiores gêneros de Bromeliaceae, tendo mais que 250 espécies, e o Brasil é seu principal dentro de endemismo. Examinamos taxonomicamente as espécies de Aechmea encontradas no estado da Paraíba, Nordeste do Brasil. As análises foram baseadas em espécimes coletados durante a realização deste estudo, complementadas pelas coleções de herbários locais e regionais. Foram encontradas 11 espécies para o Estado: Aechmea aquilega, A. chrysocoma, A. costantinii, A. emmerichiae, A. eurycorymbus, A. fulgens, A. leptantha, A. mertensii, A. nudicaulis, A. patentissima e A. werdermannii. Dentre estas, sete são endêmicas do Nordeste brasileiro e cinco estão incluídas em uma das categorias de ameaça de acordo com os critérios da IUCN, com duas delas \"em perigo\" e \"criticamente em perigo\". O tratamento inclui uma chave para a identificação das espécies, relação de material examinado, comentários sobre as afinidades taxonômicas baseados em caracteres morfológicos, dados de distribuição geográfica, floração, frutificação e inferências sobre o status de conservação para as espécies, bem como imagens e estampas em nanquim destacando os principais caracteres dos taxa.

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.

Aechmea distichantha Lemaire (Bromeliaceae) is an epiphytic, rupicolous or terricolous bromeliad, with a wide geographical distribution in the Cerrado, Chaco, and Atlantic Forest phytogeographic domains in South America. In this study, a plastidial DNA region and ten nuclear microsatellite markers were used to estimate the genetic diversity and population structure of nine populations of Aechmea distichantha from Brazil. Our results revealed that A. distichantha has low-to-moderate plastidial genetic diversity and moderate-to-high nuclear genetic diversity. In addition, a high genetic structure was observed among the A. distichantha populations in both genomes, suggesting restricted gene flow via seed and pollen. The high genetic differentiation found among A. distichantha populations in different geographical locations might be a consequence of its mixed reproductive system and restricted gene flow. The findings of the present study, with the unique genetic composition of most populations, suggests that in situ conservation is the most appropriate protection measure for these plant populations.

In protected cultivation, increasing the light level via supplementary lighting (SL) is critical to improve external quality, especially in periods with low light availability. Despite wide applications, the effect of light quality remains understated. In this study, the effect of SL quality and nutrient solution electrical conductivity (EC) on growth and flowering of three bromeliad species was investigated. Treatments included solar light, and this supplemented with R90B10 [90% red (R) and 10% blue (B)], R80B20 (80% R and 20% B), and R70B30 (70% R and 30% B). These were combined with an EC of 1 and 2 dS m-l. Irrespective of the light treatment, the higher EC promoted growth, inflorescence emergence, and development in Aechmea fasciata (Lindl.) Baker, whereas adverse effects were noted in Guzmania and Vriesea. The higher EC-induced negative effect in Guzmania and Vriesea was slightly alleviated by SL. With few notable exceptions, SL exerted limited effects on photosynthetic functionality. Depending on the species, SL improved external quality traits. In all species, SL increased root and inflorescence weight and stimulated biomass allocation to generative organs. It also accelerated inflorescence emergence and promoted inflorescence development. In this way, the time to commercial development stage was considerably shortened. These effects were more prominent at R80B20 and R70B30. Under those conditions, for instance, inflorescence emergence occurred 3–5 weeks earlier than in the control, depending on the species. In conclusion, SL with increased B proportion leads to shorter production period owing to faster emergence and improved development of the inflorescence and is recommended for commercial use.

Abstract Many plants may accumulate rainwater, forming phytotelmata, aquatic microhabitats inhabited by various organisms. The aim of this study was to conduct an inventory of heterotrophic flagellates associated with phytotelmata of the bromeliad Aechmea distichantha Lem., found in rocky cliffs on the Upper Paraná River. The bromeliads were removed manually from the rocky wall, the water was removed and cultures of organisms of each plant were mounted in Petri dishes. Sixteen species of heterotrophic flagellate were recorded, drawn and described, among them one species belonging to the Amorpha Domain and 15 species to the Diaphoretiches Domain. The groups with most species were Euglenida and Kinetoplastea. The low diversity of heterotrophic flagellates recorded in this study, compared to the plankton of lakes and reservoirs, is probably related to the fact that phytotelmata are habitats with extreme environmental conditions, thus selecting organisms tolerant to these environments. Resumo Em sua superfície externa, muitas plantas podem acumular água da chuva formando fitotelmata, ou seja, micro-habitat aquáticos colonizados por diversos organismos, entre eles, os flagelados protistas. Fez-se um inventário de flagelados heterotróficos associados ao fitotelmata da bromélia Aechmea distichantha Lem., encontrada em paredões rochosos em um trecho da bacia do alto rio Paraná. As bromélias foram retiradas manualmente de paredão rochoso e, em laboratório, a água foi retirada dos tanques de cada planta, e foram montadas culturas dos organismos em placas de Petri. Os flagelados heterotróficos foram, então, observados in vivo sob microscópio óptico Olympus BX51, com sistema de contraste de interferência diferencial (DIC) acoplado. Dezesseis espécies flagelados heterotróficos foram registradas, desenhadas e descritas, sendo uma espécie pertencente ao Domínio Amorpha e 15 espécies ao Domínio Diaphoretiches. Os grupos mais especiosos foram Euglenida e Kinetoplastea. A diversidade relativamente reduzida de flagelados heterotróficos, quando comparada ao plâncton de lagos e reservatórios, pode estar relacionada ao fato de os fitotelmata serem habitats limitados, com condições ambientais extremas, selecionando, assim, organismos tolerantes a esses ambientes.

The primary goal of this study was to evaluate the relative importance of habitat physical properties, bottom-up and top-down factors, and their interaction on algae biomass in tank-bromeliads. We sampled algae biomass (chlorophyll-a concentration), micro-metazoan density, mosquito abundance, and several environmental variables, including nutrient concentrations and characteristics of the habitat physical structure, in a survey of 64 tank-bromeliads of four different species ( Aechmea nudicaulis , Aechmea lingulata , Neoregelia cruenta , and Vriesea neoglutinosa ). We analyzed the complete and individual bromeliad species datasets using an information-theoretic model selection approach (Akaike’s information criterion). Bromeliad species, maximum water volume, and bromeliad diameter comprised the best model for determining chlorophyll-a concentrations for the complete dataset. The maximum water volume also comprised the best model to explain chlorophyll-a concentrations in three of four bromeliad species datasets. Interactions between consumers and nutrient concentration were included in the subsequent models, but they were not statistically significant. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the impact of habitat size on the associated autotrophic biomass occurs possibly via changes in community susceptibility to disturbances, particularly drought. We can conclude that habitat size is more important than resource availability or herbivory on phytotelm autotrophic biomass regulation in these natural microcosms.

Since the first description of the genus in 1754, the taxonomy of Ananas underwent many fundamental changes and it is still the subject of a vivid debate. We present a phylogeny comprising all seven known Ananas taxa, Pseudananas sagenarius as well as closely related members of Bromelioideae (Aechmea subg. Chevaliera) based on three nuclear markers (agt1, ETS, phyC), five plastid markers (atpB–rbcL, trnL–trnF, matK, two segments of ycf1) and AFLP data. This study reveals a close relationship between Ananas, P. sagenarius, Aechmea tayoensis and Disteganthus basilateralis, and proposes novel relationship of the Ananas clade and Aechmea fernandae. Taxonomic implications of our analysis in particular the recognition of species versus varieties in Ananas are discussed. Furthermore, we could show that the evolution of two traits (scape bracts and the apical coma of the inflorescence) might be interlinked.

Bromeliaceae family have great ornamental potential and a wide diversity of reproductive systems, floral characteristics and pollination strategies. Self-compatibility is commonly reported in Bromeliaceae, alongside occurrences of self-incompatibility and mixed reproductive systems. Hybridization enables the creation of genotypes with new combinations of shapes and colors, leading to the development of new ornamental cultivars for landscaping and horticulture. In this study we identify the reproductive systems, potential interspecific hybridizations and reproductive barriers of 16 species of the Wittmackia . To identify the reproductive systems, we evaluated natural pollination, spontaneous self-pollination, artificial self-pollination, cross-pollination, and agamospermy. The reproductive strategy was determined using the autogamy index, self-incompatibility index, and reproductive efficiency. Over 65% of the species studied showed self-incompatibility. No agamospermy was observed. We carried out 713 interspecific hybridizations in 84 different combinations with 16 species, resulting in 285 fruits from 44% of the pollinations. The main events of self-incompatibility and incongruence identified after crossings include low pollen germination on the stigma surface, inhibition of pollen tube growth in the stigma, interruption of pollen tube growth along the style with callose deposition, and coiling of pollen tubes inside the ovary, among others. The seeds generated from the different reproductive systems and hybridizations had germination rates above 85%, indicating the absence of post-zygotic barriers and high seed viability. The results of this study contribute to the understanding of reproductive systems and new hybridizations in Bromeliaceae, potentially leading to the creation of hybrid ornamental cultivars.

Aechmea fasciata is a well-known ornamental flowering plant in the bromeliad family. It is proposed that a small burst of ethylene synthesis in the meristem triggers flowering in pineapple and other bromeliads in response to diverse environmental and endogenous signals. A. fasciata showed an age-dependent response: adult plants were induced to flower successfully under ethylene treatment but juvenile plants did not. To better understand the mechanism of different responses to ethylene in transcriptome and flowering induction by ethylene, we performed a comparative analysis of A. fasciata transcriptome. Four libraries of A. fasciata adult and juvenile plants under water and ethylene treatment were sequenced by Illumina deep sequencing, 55,238,936, 53,797,292, 53,471,812, and 53,485,862 qualified Illumina clean reads, respectively, with 90 bp mean length, respectively. Unigenes of the four libraries were assembled and then merged into an unified library with 86,609 sequences and a mean size of 987 bp. After searching against Nr, KEGG, Swiss-Prot, and COG databases, 28,350 sequences were assigned to 129 KEGG pathways, 28,289 unigenes were categorized into 64 functional groups, and 19,293 sequences were classified into 25 COG categories. Through differential expression analysis, 56 DEGs related to flowering were identified. The critical genes correlated with flowering were selected and confirmed by qRT-PCR analysis. This study provided a global survey of changes in transcriptomes of A. fasciata in response to ethylene. The analyses of transcriptome profiles imply that FT is upregulated in the adult plant and results in flowering. Moreover, the differential expression of GI , DELLA , GAD1 , AP2, and so on indicated that a complicated network participated in the induction of flowering by ethylene, which will help in the future studies.

Abstract PurposeMembers of the plant family Bromeliaceae can uptake nutrients directly from their leaves via leaf absorbing trichomes and their roots have long been reduced to anchorage function, thus overlooked. Recently, evidence has accumulated for a significant role for the roots of some species of tank bromeliads in both water and nutrients absorption. However, to date, little attention has been paid to the importance of the substrate fertility for the structure of the roots and the growth and performances of tank bromeliads.MethodsThis study investigated the effect of substrate fertility on Aechmea aquilega regarding leaf and root traits, nutrient content, and growth. Seeds of this tank bromeliad were sowed in a greenhouse in French Guiana in three different substrates: a nutrient-poor, a nutrient-rich and a mixed substrate. The performances of 15-month-old A. aquilega were assessed by measuring leaf and root traits related to nutrient acquisition and resources capture.ResultsWe show that plants growing in nutrient-poor substrate grew twice slower and were smaller than plants grown on the nutrient-rich substrate with fewer leaves and roots, lower total dry mass, and smaller leaves and root length. Overall, 70% of measured traits responded significantly to the experimental treatments indicating that the response of A. aquilega to nutrient availability is a combination of physiological processes, leaf and root structure, and chemistry.ConclusionThis study is the first to show that the fertility of the substrate on which the bromeliad A. aquilega grows has a strong and lasting effect on the plant performances and may be a relevant factor for bromeliad ecology.