Bob I want some more that look like tex..I realy like that plant where did you get them?

Nice hechtias. I have a glomerata which looks similar to yours, maybe narrower leaves. I'll try to get a photo of it.

Wow...Bob :^O you got a great haul!
Your Dyckia ML look nice with red-colored leaves.
Nice clumps of Hechtia, sure I really love that sp. silver leaves.

It quite hard to say what exactly the 'Blackie' may be it is that name,
but in some manners, the plant look like Dyckia 'Lad Cutak' with compacted growth.
Do you have a pic from the plant's side, I'ld like to see its curve and leaf's underneath.

HDD.
I got these at Exotic Gardens in California.Their website has a plant list but no pictures. I emailed Carl,at info@exoticgardens.biz.
If you want the glomerata,(which I believe to really be
H.texensis),I'd describe it to him,to be sure you get the one you want.Or send a photo to him. Bob

philofan,
I'd like to see that photo of H.glomerata. I'm thinking that glomerata has longer narrower leaves with spines close to one another,where texensis has shorter leaves and the spines are further apart,and red tipped in sun. Bob

Stephania,
heres the side and under views of 'Blackie' you wanted to see. Bob
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I'll get a photo this evening. It's funny you should mention Exotic Gardens, since that's where I found H. glomerata! I was there at the Bromeliad Conference last summer and stumbled on some nice finds at that little nursery.

I have texensis which to me looks different. I'll get a shot of that too.

Thanks Bob, from the pics I'm quite sure yours is not D. 'Lad Cutak,
but sure, a more handsome one which I don't have yet :^)

BTW, this is my Hechtia glomerata

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Thanks for the info Stephania.
That pic of H.glomerata looks like the one on fcbs,and another I've seen on a botany site. As mentioned above,the spines seem to be close together,about half an inch.
Any pics I've seen of H.texensis,the spines seem to be about 3/4" to 1" apart.,like those shown on the fcbs photos. Which leads me to think my 'glomerata' is more like texensis,because of that feature. But,I'm not certain about it. It realy depends on who found the plant in its habitat,and what species name they thought it most resembled,and so forth. I took some leaf pics of my two latest hechtias,and I'd like your's and philofans opinion,if I have a point or not. Also waiting for philo's photos to compare plants. So much can go awry in the passing on of plant names,but we can try to put our best ideas together and see what we come up with.
The leaf pics:
Hechtia glomerata (?)
(spines 3/4" apart on mature leaf)--a lot like the pics of texensis on the fcbs site.
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Hechtia sp. with silvered leaves
(spines 1" apart on mature leaf) whats My name ?
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Any other 'spiny' fans that want to chip in an opinion are welcome.
Bob

And one more question,re:D.'Lad Cutak' photos on FCBS.

Stephania,regarding your reference to my 'Blackie',I checked 'Lad Cutak' on fcbs,and to my eyes,all three photos look like different plants,and I would'nt know what plant best represented 'L C'. The colors of each are way off,tho that can be a factor of light exposure,but more noticable,is the difference in the spines of all 3 plants.
Also,the general shape of each is different.
Ex; Michael A.'s is tall and loose leaved with some distance between the spines.
Geoff L's is full leaved and more flat,close spines.
Carol J's does not look like either of the other two,and looks more like H.meziana.
So,these confusing plant photos of 'L C',relates to my questioning above,of glomerata / texensis. That is,can species plants look so different from one another and still be the same species ? Or is this an ID error?
I'm mostly judging by the leaf and the spines and general shape for identification. Is this the wrong way to ID an unknown plant when there is no scape in bloom to help identification ? A puzzlement,and ID tags can be in error. Any ideas ?
Bob

And only the ants know the answers to all the above questions LOL

So do I Bob, I've also noticed that they are quite different between
those FCBS pics of Dyckia 'Lad Cutak'
And I'm pretty sure as you mentioned that the Carol's pic is a Hechtia,
as that characteristic of leaves spikes not should to be that of a Dyckia.

Right now, we have to find the first description of Dyckia 'Lad Cutak' to prove out
which one should be the real one.

Anyway, this is my Dyckia 'Lad Cutak' from Michael's Bromeliads.
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About Hechtia glomerata (synonym with H. ghiesbreghtii),
I found this plant has more distinct white scales, covering the undersides of leaves
which also can be seen up to the leaves edge.
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While in Hechtia texensis (synonym with H.scariosa) the plant is more compact
and also more number of leaves which are smooth and shiny in texture,
yet, less prominent scales undersides.
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Ok, got sidetracked by the Berkeley plant sale this weekend. I took some shots of my H. glomerata and H. scariosa. I had a hard time telling them apart. The H. glomerata seems to have thinner leaves in cross section, i.e. u-shaped, and narrower in width as well. The H. scariosa definitely has thick leaves in cross section--more triangular.

Here in this photo, the scariosa is on the left, glomerata on the right.

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Here is a photo showing the scales underneath the scariosa:

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Here is a close-up of the glomerata showing some scales:

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Well, after taking a look for hours, I think we are talking about at least 4 different Hech.

Bob's H. glomerata and both of Philofan's- H.glomerata and H. scariosa,
are all identical as the same one.

My H. glomerata is another one, but whatever it is,
my plant can grow to 120 cm in diameter.

My H. texensis is another one too, the plant has more numerous leaves
than both of yours and 80 cm in diameter.

The last one is Bob's H. sp. silver leaves which is quite distinct to be another one, sure.

So...what now ? :^)

Thanks guys,lots of effort there.
My conclusion is that hdd had it right...."only the ants know" :^)

Stephania,I think your 'Lad Cutak' from Michael's is the real one. The first fcbs pic is just like yours.

And as for mine and philofan's glomerata/texensis plants,well,we're at the mercy of whoever put the first name tag on them,
and (thanks to your sage advice hdd),only the ants know for sure.;)
Bob

ps: Whats in a name anyway,its the looks of the plant that we admire,not he tag.

Forgot to ask....so your firm opinions please,is my redish plant glomerata or texensis(scariosa) ??
(ants not required to give an antswer)
Bob

These also can be Hechtia texensis or glomerata I think in northwest Mexico.
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They usually look likke this one when shaded.
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In my opinion, yours and Philofan's should be the true H. texensis (syn. H. scariosa)

My plant might be another thing that I will find out from the 'Ants' :^)

Hi Patusho ! great habitat pic which we rarely to observe, Thanks.
But are you sure that your first pic is a Hechtia, I doubt that it would be a Bromelia,
as that type of leaf-spines with quite channeled leaves.
Anyway, did you sign any old inflorescences around,
if it appears as a long stalk from leaves's axil it 's a Hechtia,
if it forms much short at the apical center, a Bromelia.

Your 2nd pic would not be the same one, right?
It's a Hechtia but I can't tell which one

Thanks,Stephania
I think texensis(scariosa) too. I've been looking at photos of hechtia from as many sources as I could find,and I would argue that some of them are surely ID'd incorrectly.
Some hechtias that look so very different from one another,are just not likely to be the same species.
And too,I'd bet that some are natural hybrids,sharing common characteristics that make them hard to pin a species name on.
But whoever first collects them from the wild,just picks a species name based on their knowledge,and thats what it gets called,right or wrong.
A collector of plants from Mexico,Guy Wrinkle, [Rare Exotics] at least just names them 'Hechtia sp.'(and a #)and lets it go at that. A more honest way of doing it,when you have no sure ID of a habitat collected plant.
Anyway,it all makes for some interesting conversation,and makes you hit the books to learn all you can.
Bob

both plants were growing in the same area, not sure they are the same species though.

These plants become deep glossy red and tiped deep green when deeply shaded (in a few months when burseras and haematoxyllums leaf out again in the wet season).
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At first glance, I think this could be a species in genus Bromelia.
But if you have a chance to obsereve the blooming, we could find the answer.

Patusho,
when that change of color occurs,we'd sure like to see these plants then,if you could. Maybe some close-ups too,and if possible,the bloom stalks and flowers.
I'm a little surprised to hear that they turn red in shade,when most species that I'm aware of turn red in strong sunshine.
Thanks for your habitat photos,which we seldom get to see.
Bob

Will try to take pictures in the next rainy season. About colors I remember they just become stronger/deeper (either red or green or both, I just cant remember exactly, sorry) in shade rather than in full sun.

I used to have a picture of a flower stalk of these (only fruits attached), the fruits were yellow/white, believe, guess I do need to go back a check for sure.

You said the fruits were yellow/white, so if they also formed berries-like
that sound pretty close to the Bromelia's

Here is a link that might be useful: Bromelia fruit

Thats the fruit Stephania!! They look almost identical to the ones Ive eaten! People roast them a little on a small fire, peel them and its ready to be eaten!!!!. We call this fruit ^aguamas^ and old people used to eat them regularly when in season.

Not sure if the bromeliads plants I've posted before in this thread are of the same species of whose people eat its fruits.

Stephania, watching your post about Bromelia humilis I've noticed your plants are very similar in color as the ones I did found here in my country last year at the end of the rainy season, so I guess they were about to bloom because of the same color patern, only those in here had deeper colors (green/red).

Hi Stephania,I have a question regarding species descriptions and 'Synonyms'.
As an example,we can use Hechtia as a test case. There seem to be a few species that look quite a bit alike,(argentea & epigyna) (texensis & glabra) Q- where does one find the information [descriptions]that explains their differences and why they qualify as distinct species ?
And secondly, how is it we have 'Synonyms' if they are the same plant? ex: (glomerata & ghiesbreghtii) (texensis & scariosa)
Hope I've asked these correctly,so that they're answerable.
Anyone wants to chip in on this is welcome.
Bob

Hi Patusho :^) beyond the pineapple, your "Aguamas" must be another fruit
from bromeliad family, I have heard it taste very sour as its high-acid.

There are decades species of genus Bromelia, but seldom seen in cultivation,
so the plant you mentioned sound very interesting.
By the way, my Hechtia humilis is native to Venezuela and Trinidad.

Hi Bob, I just base on the article about Hechtia by a reliable author in CSSA
Vol. 78, No.1 -2006
And you can also, in some case, check the validity in a site from Kew.

It seem like a name game of taxonomist, splitter and lumper Bob.

Here is a link that might be useful: The International Plant Names Index