"Uncle Derek Says"

Vriesea 'Corralina'

" This name has intrigued me for some years now and had me thinking originally that it was a species. The problem was that the plant bears no relationship to the Vriesea platynema that it is supposed to look like!
In 1870 Vriesea corallina (note one 'r' and two 'l's ) came into being. While I do not know who actually decided that it was synonymous with Vriesea platynema, this information is shown in Flora Neotropica Monograph No. 14 Tillandsioideae by Smith and Downs 1977 page 1126.
In 1900 there must have been an extra special clone because Vriesea corallina rubra superba was named (Refer International Checklist of Bromeliad hybrids by Padilla 1979). Regrettably no reference was given and I have been unable to trace this naming. I have also been unable to trace how a plant of this name originating in Europe but not currently being grown there, got to the USA seemingly 60 to 70 years later! In the Preliminary listing of all known cultivar and grex names for the Bromeliaceae by Don Beadle 1991 this had become 'Corralina Rubra Superba' (note two 'r's and one 'l') and this spelling persisted into the Bromeliad Cultivar Registry 1998.
In May 2000 John Arden of California pointed out that the photograph we had on the Website http://fcbs.org for 'Corralina' from Ed Doherty of Texas was a plant that the late Charles Wiley, also of California circulated as 'Yellow Tail' in the 1970's. This is the best lead yet as to the true identity of this plant because clearly there are no links whatsoever with Vriesea platynema. So I have entered 'Yellow Tail' in the Bromeliad Cultivar Register and if your 'Corralina Rubra Superba' or even 'Corralina' looks like the photograph of 'Yellow Tail' we suggest you change its name.
The problem does not end here because there appears to be another 'Corralina' in New Zealand thanks to advice received from Andrew Flower. It seems safer to treat this as Vriesea 'Corralina Kiwi' even though it may have had its origins in the USA.
Another interesting development is that there is another plant which is identical in all respects to Vriesea 'Corralina' except its scape is at 90 degrees and not 70 degrees. We do not know this plant's origins but it has been called Vriesea 'Yellow and Orange'
This is yet another instance of lack of attention to naming of hybrids and trying to trace origins by hearsay. Now we have easy access to a Register, information should be added to it while it is current and not 30 years later."

Vriesea 'Yellow Tail'

Vriesea
'Corralina Kiwi'

Vriesea 'Yellow and Orange'

Click on the thumbnails to view the pictures.
Send your comments and opinions to UncleDerekSays@fcbs.org
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6-27-99
A comment from Geoff Johnson, Pineapple Place, Longwood,FL:
We recieved this plant from a collection purchased from an old timer in Jacksonville in about 1971. The specimen that I cultivate is a bit different from those shown in the thumbnails in the article. The plant I have is grown with copious amounts of light and is a ruby red color and the inflorescence (which seems to be identical to the Doherty and Sherman photos) is excerted at more like a 60 degre angle, never close to fully erect, could be the aforementioned 'rubra superba'

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Photo Credits:
Vriesea 'Yellow Tail' - Ed Doherty
Vriesea 'Corralina Kiwi' and flower - Andrew Flower, © Anwyl Bromeliads
Vriesea 'Yellow and Orange' - Photo by John Catlan

http://fcbs.org/