Yup, I think the first one is bigeneric, Andrew. I see lots of Neo traits there. The others are probably straight nudicaulis, just in need of more sun. My v. aequalis doesn't self, but there seem to be a number of different clones around bearing that name.

Andrew, I did the exact same thing. I put a bunch of pollen on my v aqualis and then found out it selfed. I also planted some seeds anyways, but I'm way behind you as mine are only one year old.

I think that is a candidate for some Florel to find out what you have.

Here is bigeneric that I made. It a nice chantinii cultivar crossed with a nice Neo marmorata hybrid and it's got none of the good traits of the parents. This happens way too often. I'm sure this one is going to get trashed soon.

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A scurfy Neo like pauciflora or a stoloniferous one like some of the small ampulacea-type neos might look cool crossed with some of the nudicaulis clones. Hmmm, maybe I'll give it a whirl if mine bloom this year... (I can dream until I actually do it and see none of the traits I want...).
-andy

I dont know much about doing bigenerics ,but from the little i noticed when i did it years ago you do seem to lose at least half the good traits from either parent so mostly they allways turn out a great deal of rubbish ,and in order to get a good one you have to grow more than a dozen out of a given cross ,some plants are very compatible ,there are some great Canmea's for sure ,used to find that in orchids as well ,except in the Oncidium /odontoglossum types they would cross with Miltonia's and produce great looking plants ,but i found that flat growers like Neo's crossed with upright growers like Bill's or some Ae, destroyed the shapes almost every time of both parents ,Chantinii loses the silver barring with a vengeance ,it is very reccesive in its traits ,yet most of keep using it in the hope ? but no it does not hand the stripes down ,however nothing ventured ,nothing gained ,and i admire you guys for trying again and again,
best of luck guys ,some one has to do it ,
Jack

Dream on, Andy. There is a registry listing for xNeomea Hotch Potch, does anyone have this plant? I could find no picture of it, but here's the description: "cv. of Neoregelia ampullacea x Aechmea nudicaulis - Paterson said, 'Small upright rosette - leaves yellow-green w/brown-maroon spotting - inflorescence does not exsert past the leaves'." It doesn't say which cvs. of ampullacea and nudicaulis were used, though.

As for pauciflora, from what I've seen it tends to lose both its scurfy bands and its long stolons in a cross, although if you reinforced it with something that had both, you might have a better shot.

I agree with what Jack said about bigenerics. The vast majority of them are not as attractive as either parent. I do get the appeal of the "mad scientist" experiment, having done a fair amount of them myself, but if you want to make something with any real potential you really have to choose parents that have traits that will either reinforce each other or at least harmonize well. Most of the time what you consider to be the most striking feature of a particular plant will be completely obliterated if you try to cross it with something too different from it.

No matter how showy an inflorescence an Aechmea may have, cross it with a Neo and it will be pulled back into a tight little cluster. The markings and color of the Neo will likely get washed out too. Take a look at the link below for a good example of this.

Here is a link that might be useful: xNeomea Black Snow

Yeah, I know Lisa. I was imagining a little bit of the upright habit and leaf shape of the pauciflora and the slight chance of the stolons reinforcing. I was thinking those small Neos because of the more tubular habit and not getting the greatly distorted leaves of a lot of bigenerics. I would also be greatly interested in seeing a picture of 'Hotch Potch'...probably isn't too wide spread. Does it say when/where it was created?

Ha ha, I don't even think of nudicaulis for the bloom. I love the stolons, the shape, and the different leaf patterns. A curiosity is good enough for me.

And hey, I am a scientist so why not be mad as well, right? Always an adventure!

Jack, chantinii will give up its stripes readily whether it's a bigeneric cross or not. Here is a pick of Ae phanerophlebia x chantinii, and while both plants have stripes, this hybrid does not. This cross (unnamed AFAIK) is still pretty nice even without the stripes.

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Andy, the date given is 1986, and the hybridizer is listed as "Paterson, G. & N." (rather than Margaret P.). I'm not sure if that makes it Aussie or US.

Here's a brain-teaser for you. Several years ago I saw a brom in a dream. It had N. pauciflora's tubular form and cascading habit, Fireball's glossy red leaves, and a flower like a miniature Ae. chantinii. I've been wracking my brains ever since, trying to think how to make something like that without losing each of those traits!

You can get some striping to make it through the odd genetic soup of a bigeneric chantinii cross.

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