" This plant has an intriguing history in that it came to Australia with "Purple ampullacea Massey Texas" on the label. It is probable that it was obtained by an Australian from a Massey while in Texas! That is the only possible accurate statement about the plant because it is not purple and it is not a Neoregelia ampullacea!Geoff Lawn from the State of Western Australia also came across this plant only he referred to it as 'Purple' in the BSI Journal 1992 page 196 when discussing the various cultivars encountered within the species Neoregelia ampullacea. This plant stands out like a sore thumb amongst all the other cultivars because it is almost totally green, flared rather than tubular, AND it turns red in the centre at anthesis.
I went the other way , linking the plant with this mysterious person called "Massey" rather than Neoregelia ampullacea because clearly it was a hybrid with links to that hybridist's favourite Neoregelia olens.
There are many "olens" hybrids mentioned in "A Preliminary Listing of all known Cultivars and Grex names for the Bromeliaceae" June 1991 mainly by Hendrix and DeLeon but none seemed to be worthy of a proper name and yet appeared on Nurserymen's sales lists! To me this is a contradiction in terms.
Please treat Neoregelia 'Purple' on BCR page 289 as being the same as Neoregelia 'Massey'. I am sure this plant is circulating in the USA but under what name?
If anyone knows of a link between this plant and a Massey from Texas please let us know.
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