Billbergia Muriel Waterman
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Billbergia Muriel Waterman
cv. of horrida Var. tigrina X euphemiae Var. purpurea by M.B.Foster.
Birgit Rhode Auckland, at Bromeliads XIII.



Billbergia ‘Muriel Waterman’ by M Foster in Brom.Soc. Bull. 7(3): 41. 1957
Billbergia X "Muriel Waterman" M. B. Foster hybr. nov. (Billbergia horrida var. tigrina X B. Euphemia var. purpurea) M. B. Foster No. 3018 (Type in U.S. Nat'l Herbarium)

This new hybrid was made in 1946 and flowered in 1950 for the first time. It is certainly a most striking and stunning plant whether in flower or not. The semi-nodding inflorescence does not carry the delicate pastel colors of pink and blue that was the contribution of B. Euphemia var. purpurea because the transparent blue-green petals of B. horrida var. tigrina pulled them down to a more earthy combination of dull pink bracts and steel blue flowers. Every compensation was made, however, to a complete climax in the combination of the reddish purple leaved Euphemia which created a blend of a rich plumb colored background highlighted with vivid silver grey bands which were donated by B. horrida.
In naming this hybrid for Mrs. Muriel Waterman of Auckland, New Zealand I am honoring her in acknowledgment of the tireless enthusiasm and interest she has shown for the bromeliads and the Bromeliad Society. Mrs. Waterman possesses-or shall we say, the largest collection of bromeliads "Down Under" possess Mrs. Waterman! If you named the ten largest collections of bromeliads in the world, her collection would be in that Royal Group. Less than ten years ago she was an incurable addict of cacti and succulents but when bromeliads came into her heart, the cacti gradually left her garden.
We have never had the pleasure of seeing Mrs. Waterman but we have always felt that she lives just across the street because so many plants from our garden have gone over to live in her garden.
Mrs. Waterman, herself, is somewhat of a hybrid for she was born in Iowa but has spent most of her very active life in New Zealand.


Updated 16/03/17