How to use the Bromeliad names lists on the Bromeliad Society International website.
Navigating the world of scientific names can be confusing especially if groups (plant families, genera and species) have been revised and names have changed. Eric Gouda and Derek Butcher have made it easy for us to apply the correct accepted name to all of our species bromeliads. In order to do this you will need to access the names lists on the Bromeliad Society International website. Here you will find two lists pertaining to the names of all Bromeliaceae species. They are updated regularly, so only use these lists.
The two lists are:
1. A list of Accepted Bomeliaceae Names
2. The new Bromeliad Taxon list.
These can be found on the BSI site under
Bromeliads
— Taxonomy
—–Accepted Names List
—–The new Bromeliad Taxon List
The first list (A list of Accepted Bromeliaceae Names) is the one you should be relying on. This is the official list of accepted names of all currently known bromeliad taxa (species, subspecies, varieties and forms).
The second list (The new Bromeliad Taxon list) is a list of old names linking them to their new accepted name.
Using the lists to update your Bromeliad collection
If the name you have for one of your bromeliads does not occur on list one then you need to go to list two and check to see what it has become in the revised classification. List two has all the old names and directs you to the correct accepted name.
For example:
On list two there is the name Tillandsia achyrostachys var. stenolepis. This name appears in red indicating that it is not an accepted name. If you look across the line the arrow points to the accepted name in green which is Tillandsia achyrostachys. The authors of the new Bromeliaceae classification have reduced the variety to a synonym of Tillandsia achyrostachys. Their research has shown that the variety Tillandsia achyrostachys var. stenolepis is no different to Tillandsia achyrostachys var. achyrostachys. When this happens it is no longer necessary to use the autonym as there are no accepted varieties for this species. So just Tillandsia achyrostachys will suffice in this instance.
Another example:
Many of us have grown the beautiful Tillandsia dyeriana. However, this is now recognised as belonging to the genus Racinaea. On list two you will see that Tillandsia dyeriana is in red and the arrow (=>) directs you to the new accepted name of Racinaea dyeriana which is in green.
There have been lots of changes, so if you haven’t updated your plant labels in a while you can use list two to help you work out the new accepted name if there has been a change.
Hope this helps you navigate the sometimes confusing world of plant nomenclature.
Dr Dale Dixon
Taxonomic Botanist