Ae Ramosa is what I am guessing, Nev.

Isn't that a bit small for ramosa Dennis? I do not have one, but I always thought Ramosa was much larger. I would have guessed ramosa 'Festiva'. But, Festiva has much more prominent black spines - unless you got the same inferior clone that I have, Nev.

If your plant turns out to be the red leaved form of ramosa, Nev, see if you can persuade the plant to give us some seeds!

Japie

Kind of looks like 'David Barry'. There is a ramosa cultivar with yellow berries called 'Yellowstone' but I've never seen a picture of it.

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the answers so far. I'd just like to add that this unnamed plant came to me from a friend who got it in Queensland so maybe some of our Nth NSW or Qld members may be familiar with it. What about you Kerry?

All the best, Nev.

Hi Nev et al.
My first thoughts were also Ae. ramosa var. festiva - but I was looking for more prominent black spines too, not obvious in your photos.
I have grown Ae. ramosa var. festiva for several years, and they usually grow larger, but I have occasionally flowered some when they were the same size as yours. It's a great brom. The leaf colour and large dark spines are what attracted me to it. The flowering stage is pretty, but the long-lasting berry stage is much more colourful and impressive.
I have seen a smaller, very similar Aechmea sold in Queensland and N.S.W. as Ae. 'Pink Phase', but I have long suspected it is actually Ae. ramosa var. festiva, and have never personally grown one by that name. Maybe the lack of prominent black spines, and smaller size, IS the Aechmea correctly (?) named 'Pink Phase' - also a cultivar of ramosa. Has anyone grown and compared the two?

I agree with Nick that it is rather similar to Ae. 'David Barry', a suspected hybrid of ramosa var. festiva. My 'David Barry' flushes pinkish in bright light, but not as solid in its pinkness as var. festiva, with the mainly lime-green leaves still obvious. I don't think any Aechmea by the name of 'Yellowstone' has been sold in Australia. Anyone?

Below are a few photos of Ae. ramosa var. festiva which I have grown under various conditions - for you to compare.

This was my first one, already large when I bought it pre-flowering. I whacked it in a tree, and it looked fantastic! This one is grown in dappled shade. Flowering stage.
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Same plant forming berries.
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This one grew quite large (approx. 70cm/28" wide). Grown in much brighter light - berry stage.
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This last one was also pot-grown, with little fert, grown in bright diffused light in my shade house. It was only a little over 12"/30cm wide at flowering.
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The same smaller plant as above, at berry stage, and moved to the garden.
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All of the above are subsequent offsets from my original plant of Ae. ramosa var. festiva.
Do you think we have a match, Nev? Has yours got those same great spines?

K :)

Hi Kez,

It looks like Ae Ramosa var festiva it probably is although the spines on mine are not as pronounced as yours, but that could also be a light/maturity thing so I'll see how it develops. Also when I got mine it was pretty heavily infested with flyspeck scale so maybe that also had a bearing on things, who knows?

Thanks again everyone for the feedback

All the best, Nev.

OK so I was halfway there! :-)

Japie mine is not growing in the best conditions and hasnt flowered yet so, i am not sure... if mine does turn out to be ramosa, i will put your name on the first puppa!