Detective Derek Notes.
Since the early 1970's I have been trying to get a good photo of a plant called Billbergia 'Collevii'. My plant never flowered and yet for 30 years I was hearing reports of flowering but alas no photos for me to examine. It was in the 1980's that I started to look closely at Billbergia 'Chas Webb' which had been guessed as a (amoena x vittata) hybrid, and what were the real differences between it and Billbergia 'Breauteana' a hybrid made in 1884 in France. The parents of Billbergia 'Breauteana' are quoted as (pallescens x vittata) and we know that Billbergia pallescens became Billbergia amoena. I could find no differences and convinced myself at least, that Billbergia 'Breauteana' had got to Australia as an unknown, early in the 1900's.
In my investigations into this saga I bumped into Billbergia 'Collevii' which was a hybrid (amoena x leopoldi) done in the late 1800's using the same parentage when we realise that Billbergia leopoldi is now Billbergia vittata! If we follow Chevalier - See Bromeliad Cultivar register - the plants look similar and have blue petals.
In 2000 I got a photo from Ruby Ryde which really had me wondering because here was a plant with clear traits of a Billbergia amoena - which is one of the parents of Billbergia 'Collevii'. This feeling was confirmed recently when I got a photo from George Rudolph - see attached - and I decided something must be reported.
I have never seen self set seed on my various Billbergia Chas Webb' and wonder if it ever does because to my mind what we are growing as Billbergia 'Collevii' is really 'Collevii' F2.
I will be making a note in the Cultivar register but making no attempt to give a new name to it as I usually suggest. The name 'Collevii' has been too long associated with the amoena looking plant for it to be willingly altered to a new name by ALL who have the plant.
Just remember the problem if you try to identify a hybrid from the parents listed!
Derek Butcher.