I have a Billbergia in flower with a very hard to read name tag.

I think it says "Bill. Amoena CV Bill Mc. Williams", is there such a plant and is this it?

I don't know where I got it from and I can't find it on the FCBS Photo Index and none of my local friends know of it either.

Can anyone out there help with its ID?

Thanks in advance, all the best, Nev

There is a photo of it on FCBS, but judging by the strappy green foliage, that one must have been grown in deep shade. Grown in good light, it should look just like yours.

Lisa - I know we discussed this billbergia in an old thread, re Sander's plant. Do you think 'Ed McWilliams' is the same plant as in Derek's photo of Bill. amoena 'Red Form' on FCBS? I've been umming and arring whether to change my labels to Mr Ed.

K

According to the registry, Mr. Ed is a cv. of amoena v. amoena, but it is very close in appearance to a. v. rubra. Both are stoloniferous and smooth with no scurf to speak of. The main difference that I can see is that Ed's foliage has an arching habit, like a fountain, whereas v. rubra forms an upright vase-like rosette. That's not just growing conditions. Also the colors on Eddy are more saturated (assuming he gets enough light), in fact the leaf tips are kind of prone to turning hot pink and curling up. Not as tough a bird as ol' Ruby. The inflorescence looks about the same, but Ed's seems a bit smaller and much more likely to abort (at least for me).

One of these days I'll have to see if I can get a pic of the two side by side. I got my Ed McW from Bird Rock, but I notice they're calling it amoena v. amoena (Red) now. Wonder why? Their pic is pretty accurate:

I think I'm still leaning towards Mr Ed, but then a horse is a horse, of course, of course!

K