Book of the Month

The featured book this time is the work of Jose Manzanares, a Spanish botanist who settled in Ecuador more than twenty years ago and devoted his time to study the bromeliads in that country. Ecuador abounds in flora and fauna and bromeliads grow in all of its diverse microclimates. The book is the first of a series Manzanares plans to publish under the general title of “Jewels of the Jungle”. Modeled after Leme’s “Bromeliads of the Atlantic Forest” trilogy, It may ultimately correspond to a study of the Pacific side. This volume is devoted to the Sub-family Bromeloideae. It includes 78 species from eight genera found in Ecuador out of the thirty two genera in the sub-family. While a second volume on Pitcairnioideae is already in circulation, there will be two others on Tillandsioideae. For a quick understanding of these tongue-twisting names and details of taxonomic classification, turn to p. 70-71.

Judging from the abundant technical aspects provided in the text, the simplified taxonomic classification, the uncommon (at least for us) plants shown and the

spectacular photos in the book, this series is going to become as successful and widely read as the Elton Leme trilogy, for the botanist as well as for the

collector. I highly recommend your browsing it. If you have not seen examples of the genus Chevaliera, here you will enjoy some of the most extraordinary inflorescences.

As usual, we will bring the Baensch and Steens books and the booklet on Tillandsias.