Gonzer,
I remember once reading an excellent article by Karen Andreas, in one of her society's newsletters, which discussed the cultural requirements of all forms of Q.marmorata. She said, if I remember correctly, that if you feed and water them too much, they loose their form and stronger markings - and the leaves of Tim P. will lose their curl. They don't like constantly wet 'feet'.
I grow mine mounted and hard, and they are (or rather WERE) Timming and Plowing very nicely. Moderate to bright light will also enhance the foliage markings.
IMHO, this variety is a good example of growing better mounted than potted. The thick stolons grow in strange directions and root firmly, but each plant seems to enjoy growing at a 45 degree angle from its base.
I've seen magnificent established clumps growing on bush/drift wood.
Unfortunately, my clumps in trees were severely damaged last winter :-(

Cheers,
Kerry

You sure that isn't a billbergia in bloom? Quesnelia look quite a bit different.

WL - what so appeals to me about quesnelias is the diversity of their flowers between species - like aechmeas. Gonzer's plant is a form of Quesnelia marmorata, which does have a rather billbergesque form and flower.

I have found a couple of pics from several years ago of a small clump of Q. marmorata growing in a callistemon.

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Gonzer - maybe yours is the species, and Tim has left the building?

K

winterlager,
That's botanists playing tricks on us! The genus Quesnelia is split into 2 subgenera: Quesnelia and Billbergiopsis. There are more species in the subgenus Billbergiopsis, which inlude other tubular growers such as Q. liboniana. The subgenus Billbergiopsis and genus Billbergia are differentiated on the character of the petals (regular in the genus Quesnelia, and zygomorphic or twisted in Billbergia) and pollen!- described as porate for Quesnelia and sulcate in Billbergias. Let's all get out our microscopes!
There's some logic in saying that subgenus Billbergiopsis is more closely related to the genus Billbergia than the subgenus Quesnelia.
Kerry- I love the way that they're growing mounted for you. Makes it seem kind of silly to grow 'em in a pot!

Paul

Abso Fab again Kerry! I have a nice little pup ready to be removed and it will be mounted forthright!

Cheers

Neomea

I've had "plain" Q. marmorata in the past, as well as Carrone's Curly, but neither were half as curly as TP, so they have been replaced. Try growing it harder, Gonz. Think of it as being like T. streptophylla in that respect.

Mine tims and plows fairly well in a pot, but they're up above the ground where they drain well. The pups do come out at odd angles hanging over the side of the pot, so I will second the mounting recommendation.

Check out this one on driftwood:

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:472689}}

Thanks for all the help folks. From now on I'm cutting it's rations of bread and water. Hard it wants, hard it gets!
I do think I'll try the epi way of mounting.

Greetings:

This little feller flowered early last week and I just uploaded the photo today. Pity the infl. is so ephemeral. This colony is being pot-grown fairly "soft" (30%+ shade), but I have them growing under other conditions, including full sun. I have a number of plants of the 'Tim Plowman' ecotype kicking around here and, IMO, it is genetically hard-wired to generate strongly incurved leaf tips. Even when offsets are grown in shade under glass, they still end up with the distinctive form that other clones/ecotypes do not have.

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Cheerio,

J

Long time no see StoneJ. I dug the clump (2 large, 2 pups) and mounted them to cork. The shape of the old stolon was such that the end result is the two older plants lean out at about 90° and the pups at 45°. Time will tell.

Jay, what's the thingy behind it with the almost turquoise petals? Very unusual color.

Gonz: Indeed, long time. While I agree that hard culture will almost certainly improve the overall form and color of the other cvs., to date 'Tim Plowman' appears to be immune to noticeable morphological variability based on the amount of light it receives, or whether or not it is potted or mounted.

Lisa: one of these...lightly variegated Aechmea drakeana that flowered very poorly and quite prematurely this year due to excessive heat and low RH this dry season. I would normally shoot for 16+ flowers per infl. These things are quite sensitive to dry heat and even more so to water quality. In spite of blah appearance this season, it's normally a great plant so I did hand-pollinate it.

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Sorry that the image is compromised...the optics on my closeup lens have been hopelessly invaded by fungus and I'm waiting for someone to bring me down a new short lens in mid-August.

J

Stone, the same A. drakeana pictured on the cover of Esteves' tome 'Bromeliads'? Quite a contrast.