Wittrockia 'Leopardinum'
I spent several hours on Friday helping to inventory the bromeliad collection at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens (University of Michigan). I spotted a plant with a strange looking inflorescence, and an obviously incorrect label (gremlins! I'm sure!!). Then it struck me. This was the Wittrockia 'Leopardinum' (formerly listed as Canistrum 'Leopardinum') that I had donated to the collection many years ago. Mine at home has never flowered, though I've had it for nearly 30 years. Uncle Derek's remarks about the plant on the fcbs site suggest that it is an extremely rare occurence when it blooms. I'm sorry I didn't see it at its prime, but even post bloom it's quite an impressive inflorescence. Stephania, you'll appreciate the spines- strong, long, and recurved. I have no doubt that this plant could capture and kill small rodents and birds! :-) I still have several skin lesions from handling it! Paul
Here's a general overview of the plant. It's about 4' across.
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Here's a closeup of the inflorescence. It's about 6" across
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LisaCLV