Jim Irvin has a knack with Cryptanthus, (as well as other bromeliads!), and has produced numerous first-class hybrids.  This is one of which he can be proud.  This hybrid, a cultivar of ‘Sweet Tooth’ x ‘Ice Age,’ and a grex mate to ‘Very Cold Tooth,’ is a dark brown, almost black plant with closely spaced cross banding of silver trichomes with dense silver white scurf underneath.  The inch-wide leaves are long and graceful, undulating at the margins in a symmetrical rosette.

This Cryptanthus is a little mysterious, in that its parentage and hybridizer are unknown.  It is supposed that either Mulford Foster or his son Bert Foster is the hybridizer of this amazing plant.   A medium sized plant having wide lanceolate leaves that are deep black-brown with distinct white bands that only just extend past the midrib.  The underside has heavy scurf.

This Jim Irvin hybrid is one of three cultivars of ‘Kamehameha’ x zonatus ‘Silver,’  its siblings being ‘Alternating Current’ and ‘High Voltage.’  A large growing oval-shaped plant has flat charcoal purple lanceolate leaves with silver crossbands across the leaves that are thin at the tips and wider toward the base bleeding into moderately dense scurf.  The undersides of the leaves are dense with silver-white scurf.  A striking pattern on a striking plant.

This Stephen Hoppin hybrid is a cultivar of capitatus x ‘Richard Lum’ having 18+ long lanceolate leaves forming an extra-large very full upright rosette plant to 24″ in diameter.  The densely serrated, highly glossy leaves are mottled and striated with dark forest green, red, and rust that reddens further in bright light with dark edges.  The undersides of the leaves are covered in a medium dense white scurf.

This Carole Richtmyer hybrid is one of two cultivars of sinuosus x ‘Lirico,’ the other being ‘Earth Angel,’ having 14+ elliptical lanceolate leaves forming a medium plant to 12″ in diameter with an open round shape.  The leaves are primarily pink in any light, are patterned with different tones of green along the midrib, and have a covering of moderate scurf towards bases and leaf tips.

A large growing beauty by Stephen Hoppin can grow to a 24 inch rosette. The color is black to dark chocolate brown, glossy with wavy, silvery cross bands. Some silver shading in the leaves. Leaf tips turn downward.

A species formerly in the genus Cryptanthus that could easily be taken as an Orthophytum or perhaps even a Dyckia in its foliar aspect.  Native to Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil where it grows an arid existence.  The leaves are stiff, succulent, and straight, about a half inch wide at the base and tapering to a point, bearing small, but stiff marginal spines. The color is silvery due to a heavy coat of trichomes.  Flowers are white.  Our clone of this plant originated with Prof. Dr. Werner Rauh and also carries the Selby accession number of SEL 1992-0080.