WOW...Look like you took your Ortho photos from Brazil!!! I guess the top one is Orth. gurkenii with a nice coral-colored. But what is the second one...Orth. disjunctum or Orth. maracasense or another one I don't have? It look nice. Hey, don't say that.."like a weed" you may change your mind if you have Orthor. burle-marxii, a really nice and one of the most sought-after Brom... I'm looking for this one too. In my collection, I have at least 10 kinds of Hechtia, as yours, half of them were unknown, just "sp. from Mexico"!! But I think, in hot city Bangkok, most of my Hechtias can not be enhanced their coloration like yours. So I rather keep the silver-colored Hechtias. Today morning, I just sowed xeric brom seeds that I got from Koehres-Kakteen, a well known cactus & succulent seed supplier in Germany. This year, his list has about 20 items of xeric broms, but unfortunately, I could not get Deuterocohnia lotteae seed, as it's out of stock before placing an order. Sure..10 in the list are Hechtia sp....from somewhere else in Mexico!!! Enjoy your spines!!

LOL Stephania I wish I WAS an expert at something but alas I am just a regular Joe. There is an O. navioides in this Rock Garden, in the photo with the Dyckia Moonglow, those red leaves hanging down are O. navioides. Its only a single plant, I got it as a trade somewhat like you describe (rootless pup) about 2 years ago. I have always grown it like a Dyckia, as a terrestrial, and it has gotten big. I hope for pups soon. Here is a listing of the plants in these pictures. Photo one:(Overview) extreme top right and going counterclockwise: Anthurium Nikki, Dieffenbachia Sparkle, Callesia (I think), Billbergia Baton Rouge, almost invisible behind the fern is Ae Aztec Gold, then a group that has Bil. Borracho, Neo Big Red and an unknown Bil, coming around the banded brom in front by the dead palm trunk is Ae fasciata "Sangria" albo-marg., the banded one by that is Canistrun sp. cf seidelianum, the little green one a very immature Ae JC Superstar, then Bil Fantasia "Red Clone", the small palm is a very rare palm from New Caledonia Island--Alloschmidia glabrata, in front of that is Dyckia Sawtooth, beside Sawtooth is Brittle Star, the Dyckia that looks kinda like its under the palm is Snaggletooth x Brittle Star, directly back from that is the "black" one, which is a dark form Fosteriana hybrid, then the little regular plant with green leaves is the Brownea macrophylla, and then the D. fosteriana (regular) The 2nd photo is a closeup of the regular type of Fosteriana in the Left corner, the dark Fosteriana hybrid, and the little Brownea tree The 3rd is D Moonglow with the edges of some D marnier-lapostollei and the leaves of the Navioides The 4th, from top left corner going CLOCKWISE is D. dawsonii, Neophytum Shiraz, Galactic Warrior (there are 2 of these) in the right lower corner Cryptbergia Rubra, and yes those 3 little ones are D. Sea Urchins. The 5th shot shows: Large potted Birdnest type Anthurium, the Bils in front from left to right are "The Artist", amoena rubra "Seaborn", and the really red one is "Baton Rouge", the little bitty palm in front of Baton Rouge is a Red Sealing Wax palm, the highly white spotted Bil in the lower right corner is Borracho, and next to it the Ae fasciata Sangria albo-marg the 6th pic is a better view of the Bil Borracho, in front of that the very small Gasteria x haworthia "Royal Highness", the Dyckia in center is "Rosy Glow", next to that is Pukia Sparkle, there is a containerized Neophytum "Ralph Graham French" leaning on a dark colored NOID Billbergia (anyone know its ID?) and the last pic is a closer up view of: Bil Fantasia Red Clone, Alloschimidia glabrata palm, Dyckia Sawtooth, D Brittle Star and D Snaggletooth x Brittle Star. I have at least 3 other rock gardens with Dyckias to make through out the greenhouse. The plants are planted, I just have to add the rocks and some other accents.

Hmmm, maybe I could make the trip to Hawaii next year too.It would be my 2nd,having been there in 1994,but on the island of Maui.My son Bill lives in Honolulu,so it would serve the purpose of seeing him again,and meeting up with you both. Sounds like a plan. We'll see. I had Cr.lacerdae for a time,from Tropiflora,but after doing well for a few months,and having a half dozen stolens with pups,it suddenly conked out. No idea why. I really liked that one. Never heard of latifolius being available anywhere recently,but Southern Exposure listed it in their catalog in 1993.It was discovered in Espirito Santo Brazil,however,its habitat was destroyed in 1985,so it became scarce in cultivation,and expensive. Stephania/Lisa,There may be one person that I know of who may have it,or may know where to obtain it. Mary Jo Kellogg,who knew Bob Whitman well,and obtained some of his plants when they went out of business.She e-mailed me a sad story of how the nursery went downhill by lack of attention from Bob's son,I believe. "broms baking in the sun,when she drove by." A shame. Her e-mail is www.bromeliadsrus.com I'm sure you both have many other sources and contacts too,but just thought I'd add this info. Bob

I have Orthophytum 'Blaze' which had flowered last year. After lasting, it took about nearly 5 months with nothing. But then, finally 4 pups emerged from the last-flower crown on newyear 2007. So, I do hope, your 'Super Nova' could have some pup soon. I can recall that long time ago, there was an imported product namely "MM" which,in Thailand, we use to treat some stunt bromeliads to shoot more pup. Also, I've read in an East Everglades Orchid Society forum that they use some kind of hormone to induce the kiki (pup) of Phalaenopsis It would be the same substance...here they said "...I contacted Jim Brasch, the Director of Plant Hormones Canada (makers of Keikigrow Plus) and he stated the following: "Thank you for the inquiry. It happens to identify a major concern. Keikigrow Plus should not be used in the area where roots are expected. The hormone (a cytokinin) in Keikigrow Plus is an anti-auxin. That is to say that it will inhibit root development. If assistance is required for root development, Keikiroot may be applied. If Keikigrow Plus has been used to produce the keiki (and therefore not causing stress on the plant) in excessive amounts, then the plant should be warmed as much as possible and the extra Keikigrow Plus removed carefully with a Kleenex or similar wiper." There is extensive information on both Keikigrow Plus and Keikiroot on Plant Hormones Canada's web site (www.orchidmall.com/hormones), including a slide show on how to use their products...."