Hey 'Roid,

Bruce is on a collecting trip in Ecuador at present, but I asked him similar questions a while ago about this most desirable brom. Those photos by Bruce on FCBS were taken in Brazil (in "Sitio BM" ??). He IS growing seedlings from seed sent to Pete T. by Eric Gouda, with fingers-crossed that they are the real deal. Rumour has it that they are in Oz, but as you said, scarce as.

I have seen a US reference to Hoh. b-m 'black clone', but know nout about it. Nor do I know about its preferred light conditions, but assume it would look its best grown in bright light - like most other Hohenbergias (with a couple of exceptions). The stiff form and large spines suggest this?
Maybe some of our US members could advise on light and/or variation of forms. Anyone? I know Michael K. sells it.

K :)

Tropiflora sells the "black clone". I have one and had it in mostly shade during the summer, but now that the sun is lower in the sky, I moved it to get more sun. It's not the most impressive plant.

Michael:

I have the black form in my front garden and my partners grow the "normal" rather brown marbled reddish one. I disagree with the last poster...my black plant is very impressive when happy...flat as a tortilla, very wide almost rubbery leaves, major marginal teeth, base color very dark gray heavily saturated with black marbling. One rather surprising defect I have found with this form is that it is exquisitely sensitive to clear, bright afternoon sunshine at a low angle and I always get some annoying leaf burn during the winter. The only other Hohenbergia spp. that I grow that ever burns in December-January is the huge red-leafed form of H. stellata from near Auyan Tepui.

J