Aechmea nudicaulis ‘Alba’. This is a handsome curiosity from the hugely variable nudicaulis group. A medium sized plant at about 12 to 16 inches tall, narrowly tubular, with a deep ‘thumb print’ near the base of each leaf. The leaves are green and the bracts and flowers are both white. First brought into cultivation by Wally Berg from one of his Brazilian trips.
We have been growing this plant for years under the name of cf. cylindrata, (white) but we are not at all certain of the name. The “cf.” means “compares favorably” or “similar to”, though to us, it looks a bit more like gamosepala than cylindrata. At any rate it is an all white form with no pigmentation in the inflorescence. A proven hardy plant to near freezing without damage, it is also prolific and forms a nice clump in a fairly short time. The leaves are gray-green and form an upright rosette.
A nice and different clone collected by Harry Luther on a 1987 Selby expedition to Panama with Libby Besse, Joe Halton and John Kress. The plant was found in Bocas del Toro in the vicinity of Chiriqui Grande at about sea level (SEL87-0233A). A stiff leaved plant, more open in shape than some other forms, with silver banding on the leaf undersides and heavy speckling on the upper sides when grown bright. The inflorescence is short, semi-erect with crimson bracts and yellow sepals and petals. Stoloniferous in habit, it grows to about 15 inches tall. A piece of bromeliad history!
A nice form of nudicaulis that Wally Berg brought back from a Brazil trip some years ago. We do not know the exact type, though it looks a lot like capitata in general shape. A stout, wide leaved, tubular rosette with stiff green to yellowish leaves with a slight red marginal blush, red apiculate tips and prominent black spines.
The plants have the typical ‘thumb print’ of the species and produce offsets of short, stout stolons. A decorative plant for mounting or for a hanging basket.
A tall grower in strong light, to about 24 inches in an upright, tubular rosette. The dark green leaves have silver banding on the undersides and large black spines. The bloom color is bright yellow-orange. Post bloom color is red and lasts for several months.
A nice form of this variable species which was collected by Berg and Anderson in Brazil. This form has stiff leaves, an upright, tubular shape, and the classic ’thumb-print’. The leaves are gray-green with silvery bands and the inflorescence is a compact cone with yellow flowers and bright red bracts.
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