"Uncle Derek Says"
Neoregelia 'Bossa Nova' versus 'Sheba'
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"This all started in November 2001 when I pointed out to Keith Golinski of Bromagic, Queensland, that I could not tell the difference between these two cultivars and Keith assured me he could. He even sent me photographs of plants he had received from Tropiflora in Florida and which had been growing under identical cultural conditions. He was quite clear in his own mind that the plant with a pale pink flush was 'Sheba' and the other 'Bossa Nova'. Both, of course, are albo-marginate. This was despite the fact that the Bromeliad Cultivar Registry shows that 'Bossa Nova' has pink tinges too! The photograph in Baensch's 'Blooming Bromeliads (1994) page 128 shows no pink tinges either so I was keen to correct the information in the BCR!
I sent the photograph showing both 'Sheba' and 'Bossa Nova' to the Brazilians for their comments. Because 'Bossa Nova' came to America from Brazil in the first place in 1988 AND the Brazilians would not know much about 'Sheba' I would have expected a clear cut answer. Their verdict is that 'Bossa Nova' can have pink flushes too! So, the BCR is not wrong after all but it does show that these two cultivars are very similar indeed. We know that 'Sheba' is of hybrid origin whereas 'Bossa Nova' is claimed to be a variegated form of N. compacta even though it is acknowledged to be different in shape to this species. No comparison has been done, as far as I have been aware, of the parts of the inflorescence.
So we have two very similar plants from different sources. What is all the more intriguing is that we understand a PBR or plant patent has been taken out on Neoregelia 'Ultima'. This is a medio-picta form in the same group so how it would be proved in court that this 'Ultima' is unique is a puzzle to me."
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Neoregelia 'Bossa Nova'
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Neoregelia 'Sheba'
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Neoregelia 'Sheba'
and
'Bossa Nova'
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Neoregelia 'Sheba'
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Neoregelia 'Ultima'
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Click on the thumbnails to view the pictures.
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Feb. 5, 2002
A comment from Jay Thurrott
I found your comments on these two plants very interesting. I don't
know why I never noticed the similarities before. Both develop a very nice
pink flush, like you have noted. I have had both of these plants under the
same growing conditions for quite some time now, but never confused the two
because my clone of 'Sheba' is much smaller than 'Bossa Nova'. When grown
side by side 'Sheba' winds up being at best 2/3 the size of 'Bossa Nova'.
The stolons of 'Bossa Nova' are often twice as long as those on 'Sheba' which
seems, overall, to be a much more compact plant.
'Ultima', for me, always attains the size of 'Bossa Nova' and appears
more closely related to it than to 'Sheba'. The center of 'Ultima' usually
becomes a real strawberry red that's a real eye-catcher.
As always, I enjoy your thought-provoking column (is it a 'column',
series of articles, or section?).
Best regards,
Jay Thurrott
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Photo Credits:
Keith Golinski
Ivan Paulo, Jr.
Geoff Lawn
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