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.

*VIPP plants are Offsets

A Jim Irvin hybrid introduced in 1991 is the prodigy of Cryptanthus ‘Cloudcover’ crossed with Cryptanthus ‘Ocean Mist.’  Owing to its ancestry, this plant has the crisped edges and long graceful leaves fixed in a symmetrical rosette as Cryptanthus zonatus.  The one-inch wide dark brown pink leaves are marked with a cross banding of an undulating flame-stitch pattern of snow-white trichomes.  As the plant matures, it loses its scurfing, darkening to a brown-red as its pink offsets emerge dusted with snow-white trichomes.  The beautiful hybrid matures out to a 6-inch height with a 14-inch diameter.

*VIPP plants are Offsets

This Ed Edmiston hybrid is a cultivar of ‘Jet Age’ x lacerdae ‘Menescal’ having 10+ lanceolate leaves forming a medium plant to 12″ in diameter with a full round, open, flat rosette.  The plants are larger than Cryptanthus lacerdae ‘Menescal,’ but lacks the long stolons.  The light chocolate background leaf color is marked with silvery grey central and marginal longitudinal stripes.  The bottom of the leaf is covered in a medium dense lineated white scurf.

*VIPP plants are Offsets, AS IS

A hybrid cultivar of Cryptanthus ‘Hapa Haole’ x ‘Elaine’ by Australian, David Cross.  A full rosette of leaves to about 18 inches across.  The leaves are banded with silver over a background color of dark brown to reddish-brown, with slightly wavy margins.

*VIPP plants are Offsets, AS IS

This is a 2007 cultivar of ‘Durrell’ x ‘San Juan’ by Stephen Hoppin.  The shape is a loose rosette up to 10 inches tall and 24 inches across with shiny green leaves that are wavy with serrated edges.  The leaves have an olive green color that has a hint of bronze along the edge and slight scurfing on the underside of the leaves.

*VIPP plants are Offsets

Stephen Hoppin has a way with hybrids and this is no exception.  A cultivar of ‘Dennis Cathcart’ x 'Elaine' having 10+ medium wide long lanceolate leaves forming a medium plant to 24″ in diameter with an open full round shape.  The brown-green leaves are heavily overlaid with silvery-grey, cascading rippling cross-banding.  The undersides of the leaves are covered in a medium dense silver white scurf.

*VIPP Plants are offsets, AS IS

This Jim Irvin hybrid is one of three cultivars of ‘Diverse Pink’ x sinuosus ‘Cascade,’ the others being ‘Roman Candle’ and ‘Strawberries Flambe,’ having 15+ lanceolate leaves forming a medium-large plant with a full round shape to 18″ in diameter.  The medium narrow leaves in bright green flushed with orange-red along the margins at maturity are so shiny as to appear polished.  The undersides of the leaves are covered in a light lineated white scurf.

*VIPP plants are Offsets

An Arla Rutledge hybrid of unknown parentage, but most likely with Cryptanthus beuckeri in its lineage.  Very dark red and green mottling covered in fine scurf giving a dull matte finish over the entire leaf and denser near the base on very wide leaves.  Attaining 12″ in diameter with a very full round form.

*VIPP plants are Offsets