Aechmea allenii
Greetings:
Aechmea allenii L. B. Smith is a showy Panamanian endemic that appears to be relatively uncommon in horticulture outside of its country of origin. In the wild, it is usually encountered as a fairly large epiphyte in warm cloud forests along the Continental Divide, and at some localities in Veraguas Province can attain rosette diameters in excess of 1.20 m/4'.
Panamanians call this sp., "El Rosadón" which, freely-translated, means "Big Pink" an apt common name for this large, handsome bromeliad. Many orchid growers there have these plants in their gardens, and I have seen very well-grown plants established on trees in Panamá City and Chorrera.
This particular clone is from about 800 m/2,500' elevation near El Valle de Antón in Coclé Province...hard culture has dwarfed it a bit, so that the plant flowered at a more manageable size (for me) of about 60 cm/2' across.
[IMG]http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa270/stonejaguar/Aechmeaalleniihabit.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa270/stonejaguar/Aechmeaalleniiinfl.jpg[/IMG]
While the mature inflorescence is quite attractive, IMO, these plants are at their very best for the initial two or three weeks of the flowering cycle when the immature infl. nestles in the central cup like a hot pink artichoke.
Cheerio,
JPV
stone_jaguarOriginal Author
gonzer_gw
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