- To link all forms of Aechmea nudicaulis with the formal varieties with no overlap.
- To identify all the cultivars of Aechmea chantinii.
1. Leaves concolorous - - - - - - - - - forma amazonica
1. Leaves conspicuously silver banded
2. Flowers to 30mm long - - - - - - - - forma chantinii
2. Flowers to 40mm long - - - - - - - - variety fuchii
The problem is that rarely do you see the names of amazonica and fuchsii on labels.
My other query relates to the paucity of cultivar names amongst plants similar to A. chantinii. I refer to what are called the Ecuadorian Platyaechmea which is a separate 'Uncle Derek Says' article. So if you don't know the difference between say, A. chantinii and A. zebrina or A. tessmannii I suggest you refer to this other article.
The cynic in me says that Aechmea chantinii sells well but sells more if different cultivar names are used. Under the new ICNCP rules the cultivar name should be distinct and able to "stand alone" but with Aechmea chantinii I am not so sure. We only have a selection of photographs to show you but we'll give a list of cultivar names known. We are aware that, in line with all other registered cultivar names there are many more un-registered ones! We have a few of these too!
Anyway here goes.
'Albright Red'
- 'Amazonense' BCR pg 1
- 'Amazonica' BCR pg 1 NOT the official forma amazonica ! THE important part of this problem is that this plant was known as 'Amazonia' (note spelling) in BSIJ 1979 pg192. Surely this is a case of Michael's Bromeliads catalogue being corrected to save further misidentification. Or dare I suggest it be called just Aechmea chantinii.
'Ash Blond' BCR pg 2
Batch of seedlings (not a cultivar) selected by Lee Moore and Holmes
'Black' BCR pg 4
'Black Goddess'
'Black Ice'
'Checkmate' BCR pg 8 Photo JBS;1981 pg 176
'Dark DeLeon'
- 'Dark Goddess' BCR pg 10
- 'Dwarf' BCR pg 11
'Early Bird'
- 'El Dorado' BCR pg 11
- 'Frosty' BCR pg 14
'Green Ice'
'Grey Ghost' BCR pg 16 Giant size
- 'Harlequin' BCR pg 17
- 'Hazel Quilhot' BCR pg 17 From 'Pink Goddess x 'Nigre'
- 'John Winston' BCR pg 19 F3 !
- 'Mako Santan' BCR pg 21
'Midnight Special'
- 'Mooreana' BCR pg 24 Contrary to the information under this heading this was the plant used by Harry Luther to describe Aechmea moorei! Refer to BSIJ 1980 pg176
- 'Nigre' BCR pg 24 The reference in JBS 1989 p216 is for an A. nudicaulis hybrid!
- 'Noir' BCR pg 24
- 'Norway' BCR pg 25
'Olive's Delight'
- 'Perumazon' BCR pg 27 cv of forma amazonica
'Pink Banners' BCR pg 27 cv of var fuchsii
'Pink Goddess' BCR pg 28
- 'Red Goddess' BCR pg 30 Photo JBS 1962 p110
'Samurai' BCR pg 32 From Japanese tissue culture. Yellow striped variegation. Note photograph. What do you call one without variegation?
- 'Shogun' BCR pg 33 From Japanese tissue culture. Yellow margins
- 'Silver Goddess' BCR pg 33
- 'Ski Track' BCR pg 34
'Snow Flake' BCR pg 34
- 'Solid Green' BCR pg 34 = forma amazonica
- 'Solid Silver' BCR pg 34
- 'Stripes on Stripes' BCR pg 35
- 'Sweden' BCR pg 35 Said to have blue flowers!!!
- 'Very Black' BCR pg 36
- 'Vista' BCR pg 37 Variegated
