Billbergia 'Striata' is no exception and seems to be a name easily understood and coined by the general nurseryman. To the bromeliad grower the name in itself means nothing and yet "striata" is a name given loosely to any plant with the slightest of variegation irrespective of its contrasts. I have one example that has arisen in Australia and I am sure has also arisen in the USA but not reported on.
There is currently discussion in Australia as to what is Billbergia 'Violet Beauty' which is a plant that looks like B. pyramidalis (narrow leaf form) until it flowers. This plant appears to link with the description in Bromeliads by Padilla (1973). Our inflorescence is roughly at a 90° angle to a more or less erect scape with petals a totally pale violet colour. There is also a weakly striated form in Australia.
Some 20 years go Olwen Ferris reported that we should take care in identifying the weakly striated form of B. 'Violet Beauty' because there was also a weakly striated form of B. pyramidalis around. Only when they flowered could you tell the difference!
What has intrigued me is that Don Beadle (Mr Billbergia, to the Americans) has never seen a B. 'Violet Beauty' in the USA although I doubt it has disappeared there completely.
Recently we acquired a plant with Billbergia 'Striata' on the label in South Australia from an unknown source (they always seem to be unknown in these circumstances!) and I thought we had the answer. On flowering we found that the plant was neither B. 'Violet Beauty' nor B. pyramidalis but was a Billbergia amoena with green petals and blue tips! We decided to call this plant B. 'Imposter' for obvious reasons.
So if you see a weakly striated plant with the erect Billbergia flower of red petals with violet tip please let us know that there is one still around - somewhere!"