I have one with leaves that feel very velvety. It is an Arabicum. Maybe yours is, too.

Also, it is my understanding that if you want the caudex to get bigger, you should keep it buried. I've never raised any of mine, but I think I've read where other forum members have written that when you raise the caudex, it stops or at least slows down the growth.

If I'm wrong on either, I hope someone will chime in and correct me.

Tyler

I also have one that has fuzzy leaves, however, it's a non grafted obesum! It's generally true that the Arabicums are the ones with downy leaves though. The caudex on the top plant doesn't look particularly like an Arabicum, they're usually stouter, wider and squat, to me it's more obesum at the moment.....but it could certainly be an Arabicum that's been grafted onto an obesum caudex.

The Arabicums generally have larger leaves and they're often more leathery too, plus the downy feel on the underside in many instances....or so I've read.

Giving positive ID's without specific growers info can be very difficult, only a guess can be made in most instances. I don't think the plant in question it's anything unusual.

Also, it is true as Tyler rightly says regarding the caudexes growing bigger if they're left underground.....at least they will do so at a much faster rate than if raised. You could raise it partially when you repot each time over the next few years say by a couple of cms each time, but doing a major lift in one go may not give you the best chance of getting something much bigger had you left it alone. A lot depends on what's been going on down there already. You may get a pleasant surprise if you looked now and it may (or may not!) already be huge and to your liking, but remember it will slow it down considerably the more it gets exposed.

Gill

Those 3 plants don't look arabicum they are probably obesum.

Marie