One of the most exciting species to come into cultivation in a long time from the State of Bahia, Brazil.  A beautiful compact growing Cryptanthus with broadly triangular leaves, banded lengthwise with three rows of silvery trichomes over a base color of reddish chestnut-brown, in a full, leafy rosette.  Growing 4 to 8-inches across and producing a profusion of offsets on long stolons.  This stunning decorative species was extremely rare and fairly expensive when first introduced.

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

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

There aren't many hybrids made with the former Cryptanthus warasii, but this one is a neat hybrid by Nat DeLeon.  The plant has silver leaves that are softer than the warasii with white flowers.

*VIPP plants are Offsets

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

A very confusing taxa which has been variously considered Cryptanthus, Orthophytum (supthutii), Lapa and currently; Lapanthus.  A small rosette of thin, semi-stiff leaves with small marginal spines and a nidular inflorescence lacking a scape. 

The bright orange-yellow flowers, borne in a cluster, are long and tubular.  By general appearances it would comfortably fit in any of several genera.  Certainly rare and unusual and a first class collector item.  Needs excellent drainage.  We recommend 'dirty Pearlite', that is Pearlite with a little peat mixed in.