It doesn't look much like PL to me, Japie. None of the classic markings and the size seems awfully big. It's hard to know sometimes how things will look in other climates, so I suppose it could be overfertilized, or it could be a PL hybrid, or......... ?

Anything going on on the underside of the leaf? PL often shows some faint marmoration there.

Japie that looks an over fertilized 'painted delight' to me

I agree, HDD. That does seem more likely, or maybe PD x PL.

Also its had to much direct sun..needs very bright indirect light to color up right.
All those hybrids are that way...to much sun and they look kinda a tan/gold overall

There's not much going on underneath the leaves, Lisa. Also, if there was some marmoration and the plant is over fertilized, that should go first, shouldn't it? I tried to take a picture - sorry, not a good one. In my effort to balance the plant in one hand above my head and using the camera in the other, I forgot about the water in the cup! Fortunately I got the shower not the camera!!
HDD, the plant did get some direct sun, but very weak winter sun. I was trying to get rid of the fertilizer t see if I did not get better colour. It has started to form a flower so soon we will see what kind of cup colour it will get! But judging from pictures alone, PD and PL flushes very much the same.
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Unfortunately, none of the pictures that I can find on the web are much good. Uncle Derek's pic on FCBS is the best, but the color is off. The second set of photos looks more like Painted Delight to me, so no wonder you're confused!

The photo in the Baensch book is wrong too, but here's one from the back cover of the BSI Journal (J-A 1981) that shows what it should look like:

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The magenta-plum color is accurate in this picture, and the markings too. Note also the rounded leaf tip with red fingernails-- very characteristic. It should have a somewhat leathery texture, and the spines are so fine as to be barely noticeable. This still doesn't show the magenta marmoration on the underside of the leaf, but it should be there whether it's been grown in sun or shade.

I think I still have a half grown painted lady I will try to photo tommorrow

Japie, I managed to find one that had I tossed out under the trees to fend for itself some time ago. It's in a shady spot with zero care, so there's not much color or form happening, but you can still see the rounded leaf tip with the red fingernail:

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and the underside:

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I removed a pup to pot up. You can see the marmoration even better here:

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Forgot to mention that PL is a self-pollinator. It will take other pollen but unless you emasculate it before its own pollen ripens you'll probably get a lot of F2s in the mix. Better to use it as a pollen parent.

Ok Japie here is the pic's, plant isnt growing perfect but color markings are showing
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Underside
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One of my favorite hybrids with painted lady
Cruenta X Painted lady
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Thanks Lisa and HDD!! Now I have a good idea. And I like that marmoration on the underside! And I love that cruenta x PL!
I found out a bit more of my plant's history. It was grown in the northern part of South Africa (sub-tropical) by a large wholesale nursery that grows just about everything. Trees, shrubs, indoor plants and every thing gets treated more or less the same and everything is fertilized to get the fastest possible growth. When I got the plant, it was in a 7" pot and the roots were totally pot bound. I have never seen such a root growth on a neoregelia! I just made a whole in the ground and planted it in the garden. A couple of days ago, I took it out of the soil to put it in a pot, so it can be transportable when it comes into flower so I can work with it. And all around that still intact root ball, were lots and lots of thick, fleshy, white roots emerging into the surrounding soil. The idea that I got, it that the plant was on steroids! I am obviously not feeding the plant. And I am just going to let the plant complete it's life-cycle and then see what kind of pups I am going to get from it. The new leaves that the plant produce, allready start to give me an idea of fingernails. I have two of them. The one in the picture is planted where it gets a bit of morning sun, and the other one is in a more shady spot and that's the one with the faint fingernails but still no sign of marmoration under neath. Both of them has started to produce an infloresence. I am going to use some of it's pollen when the time comes, and will keep a close check to see if they are going to self-pollinate!
If it 'reverts back' to an ordinary PL, Lisa, will it matter if I use the pollen in this humangeous state? The heavy fertilizing program could not have altered it's genes?

No, the steroids won't alter its genes, but post another picture when it's in bloom and that may help determine what you've got. I still think it looks more like PD than PL.

HDD, after seeing the picture of your Painted Lady,I want to throw another stone into the bush:
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This was another plant that I got the same time from the same source as the picture that started this thread. This plant was subjected to the same heavy fertilizing program. I thought it was some kind of carolinae (meyemdorfii)and that the red patterns on the leaves were signs of some kind of abuse like sunburn. There are some dried spots on some leaves. But the general form of those red patterns reminds me a lot of your PL. Ok this one has no finger nails (yet) and NO marmoration. Some of the red markings on the top, also appear under neath. Care to comment? Jaie

This one you will have to wait to ID it. and when it blooms pay attention the pin cushion color. I have to agree about the carlinae parentage based on the shape of leaves in the center

Can you get a close-up of that leaf in about the 2:00 position? There's some yellowy-browny business going on there (and elsewhere) that is making me think those are not healthy plant markings. Not sunburn, possibly viral?

Here's a try witht the flash, but is a bit difficult. Will get one tomorrow but I think what you saw was a reflection of light. It was close to sundown and there were some orange-y clouds giving a weird kind of light.
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No, different leaf, and it's not light reflection. This is the part I was talking about:

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Often I'll see what appear to be interesting markings on a plant-- blotches, striations of color or even a few stripes of variegation, but then upon closer inspection I find streaks of brownish necrotic tissue within those areas......................... trash pile. ;-)

I don't think it's PL either. Was it labelled that?

Now I am confused about the neo we grow in Australia labeled 'Painted Lady'. Mine, and other's I've seen grown by fellow Aussies, looks different again to the photos already posted. Width of my flowering plant = 40cm (16"). It has been grown outdoors, moderate to bright light, in a chunky mix mounded on the ground. See below.
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...and here is its pup showing marmoration under leaf (post-flowering mother, bottom right)
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Might we have the name wrong????? - shock, horror!

Here is a photo of my Neoregelia 'Painted Delight'. I think we may have this one right??
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Comments eagerly anticipated,
Kerry

They both look about right to me.

Kerry,
I agree with Lisa. I'm an Aussie also. Below are three photos of the same 'painted lady' taken over a period of 4 0r 5 months. During this time I had moved the plant into a situation with less sunlight.

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The amount of sunlight certainly makes a difference.

Here's that leave, Lisa! Those little brown spots that you see, might be from the cold and wet weather during winter. I do get that on plenty of my neo's. andwhen I got this plant, it did'nt have it. It came from a warmer part of the country and I have it now for a bit more than 3 weeks.

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One of the painted lady hybrids that dislikes wet cold conditions is:
'Granada X 'Painted lady'
I fought this year around and am down to the last pups and I mean last

Thanks, Japie. That doesn't look as bad as I thought.

Well, grow it out and see what you get. I think you should have a pretty good idea by now of what Painted Lady looks like under a variety of conditions. I'm not seeing it in either of your plants, but time will tell.

thanks neonut and lisa - glad that i seem to have the 'real mccoy'. kerry.

And here is the plant that still goes without ID, in flower! I hope the colour of the cup may make that someone will recognise the plant! Japie

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Sorry, Japie, still no clue. I was hoping it might develop some of Painted Delight's "paint streaks", but I see none, and it's a bigger plant than PD usually is.

The only thing I can say for sure is that this closes the book on any possibility it could have been Painted Lady. Not even close! Are the petals pure white or do they have a lavender tinge? Flowers can be very helpful in narrowing down the possibilities, since they don't change their appearance under different conditions the way foliage does, but you have to have something to compare it to. I don't know what color PD's flowers are. Anybody?

In the meantime, maybe you can call it UNpainted Delight. ;-)

The flowers are a pale lavender with a bit of a darker shade down the center of the petals. Will try and get a picture of them tomorrow morning.

i was given a plant and was told it was something lady fingernails because the ends of the leaves were pink - only the ends, It;s never looked like that again - now just green..what do i need to do?
also, do I water it in the center where it looks like little antenna looking things coming out

Hi everyone.

tjmizell - Firstly, how about a picture of your plant and then we will know more clearly what you are describing.

It sounds like a Neoregelia to me, and when watering, water the whole plant as well as the potting mix. This will naturally cause water to accumulate in the centre just as it does in nature which is perfectly normal.

Secondly, in my experience the most common reasons for a plant that was previously showing a nice colour and is now just showing green, is either insufficient light or too much high nitrogen fertiliser.

All the best, Nev.

Tjmizell

The description you gave and the name that you mentioned make me think that you might have Neo spectabilis as that is sometimes called by the name of Painted Fingernails. You might want to check it out on FCBS under the Neoregelia species. Sorry I do not have a picture to post as I do not grow that anymore.

The plant does not have a lot of colour except for the pink 'finger nails'. Grown in shade it will go totally green but bright light, even some direct morning or afternoon sun, will bring back those pink tips and even a bit of colour on the leaves. And do not fertilise it!

Japie

Here is a link that might be useful: FCBS Photo Index