Sorry Typo in Heading My not Mt

Not all Aechmeas are spiny, Brommad. Your plant is still in bud, so the petal color when the flowers open up will help to identify it. At this point we can narrow it down to Aechmea subgenus Ortgiesia. See the article below, specifically section 2a (leaves ligulate and leathery, inflorescence simple and dense), and check it against the FCBS photos of those species. I think we can safely eliminate calyculata and comata, the color and form so far is all wrong. Your plant looks bigger than the form of cylindrata that I know (probably what you are calling blue cone), but I see there are some different forms of it in the index, so if it has blue or even pink petals, that could be a possibility. Yellow or white petals may point to blumenavii. I can't find a photo of alegrensis, so that's a question mark. The FCBS photo of pseudonudicaulis looks like it has more prominent scape bracts, and although the photo in Baensch's book doesn't show that, neither photo looks much like your plant.

How about posting another pic when the flowers start to open? Let's hope the petals come out pale yellow, because Ae. blumenavii is looking like the closest match so far!

Here is a link that might be useful: Ortgiesia article

Hi Brommad16 and everyone, I'll take a punt on Aechmea Cylindrata before the flowers are open.

All the best, Nev.

Thanks Lisa I will be sure to post pics of the flower when it open up.

Yes your right in that its a quite biggish plant.

Come to think of it i seem to recall having a yellow flowered one, rushes to sort through old Pics and see if can find it. Will post if i do.

Hi Splinter

I also have a cylindrata and its not same, the bud head is a lot bigger on this one, the one in pic is at least 8cm long and no sign of it getting that cone shape the cylindrata tend to get, but i'm FAR off being a expert on them.

we'll just have to wait and see unless i can find this pic i think i have somewhere among 1000's. maybe back later with pic if can find it.

Ok off to read Lisa's link then look for pic

ok so far have found one pic but not of colour of flower, this one of it has the dead flower head on and no it wasnt like the cone type shape of cylindrata. still looking for other pic but may have lost it when last PC crashed, the below pic was in a photo host account

Sorry for shocking pic but back then i didn't have good camera.

{{gwi:442866}}

I agree it's not the little blue cylindrata that most of us know, but look at the link below and see the variation of the species, particularly the second one with the longer spike and pink-looking flowers. That's the only reason I didn't rule it out, but I'm still leaning towards blumenavii for now. Of course I'm finding some pretty variable photos of that one too, so it's hard to say. I'll wait for the flowers.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ae. cylindrata

Hi

Just dropping in to say I think i must have missed the flower opening of this brom as it now looks like its drying out and no sign of flowers.

Don't know how i could of missed it because i have 2 pots of it with flower heads, so maybe next year will catch the flower colour, although neighbour I also gave one to said hers had little pale yellow flowers.
Have made note of the Names and links you gave Lisa and will check it out when/if flowers open (I'll Post Pic) or my other pot of it comes into bloom, as won't miss it again.
Thank you for you help
Kay