x Pachyveria ‘Clavata’

by J. C. VAN KEPPEL

Translation by Margrit Bischofberger

Succulenta 1962, Nr. 7

Synonym: Pachyveria clavata E. Walther (Cact. + Succ. J. US 6, 56, 1934)

xPachyveria 'Clavata' by van Keppel, in Succulenta, 1962 n°7
L'article original en néerlandais avec photos
Artikel in Holländisch mit Fotos
L'articolo originale con fotografie
Article in Dutch with photos


Origin unknown. The plant is common in cultivation but nearly always under the wrong name Echeveria or x Pachyveria ‘Clavifolia’.
x Pachyveria ‘Clavata’ is sometimes confused with x P. ‘Scheideckeri’ because young plants look somewhat similar. Older plants look different: x P. ‘Clavata’ has quite a long stem, the inflorescence is 2- to 3- furcate, the bracts are larger and do not fall off when the inflorescence is spent and the petals have appendages at the base.
x P. ‘Clavata’ looks quite similar to x P. ‘Pachyphytoides’.
There is also a crested form.

Description:

Caulescent, 30 – 40 cm high, rosette rather short, leaves grey green, up to 10 cm long, in the upper half up to 3 cm wide, elongated to spatulate, almost flat; specially old leaves only slightly pruinose and not or only slightly changing colour in the sun.
Peduncle green, thick, first upright, later overhanging at the top, 2- or 3- furcate, with 30 – 100 tightly packed flowers; pedicels short.
Lower bracts have shape of leaves, 2 – 4 cm long, still adhering to the peduncle when inflorescence is spent (as with Echeveria gibbiflora), upper bracts thin, after flowering shrivelling and falling off.
Sepals unequal, adpressed and longer than petals, petals reddish, paler at the tips, with appendages at the base.