Unknown Hechtia like Dyckia marnier lapostellei

[somerset broms]

Hello
I have just joined the forum, having read your excellent posts and wondered if you can help?

I have over the years grown several large, and a couple of small offsets , of a plant I originally thought to be Dyckia marnier lapostollei .The large ones now flower every year.

About 3 years ago I aquired several plants of what I thought was the same species. These, as well as the plants above all flowered this year, and I found a startling difference. Though the plants a extremely similar when not in flower, once they flower the difference is immediately obvious.

The new plants are Dyckia marnier lapostollei , as can be seen by the flowers, the other, is now obviously a Hechtia!! But what one? I have no idea. I knew all along the flowers were different to my other dyckias, but then, even they vary a lot.

Does anyone know what it is? (note, Hectia was pictured in May, and leaves look a little shrivelled, this changes quickly once summer warms up, and is due to cold winter weather)
http://www.bromeliad.co.uk/

[chanin]

As I have had a vast collection of Dyckia marnier-lapostollei for 10 years
with about 30 looked different plants which flower every year,
I'm really sure that your doubted Hechtia is also a D. marnier-lapostollei

My plants also have flowered since May, after a cool period of our (hot!) winter.
And they appear to have a lot of variation in inflorescence and flower habits :
some with single spike or be branched, green or red-brown colored
and some with prominent big orange petals while another one would be inconspicuous.
But most important, Hechtia is dioecious plant that mean a plant can flower only male or female organ.

Here is my collection of Dyckia marnier-lapostollei





This is one of my favorite : Dyckia marnier-lapostollei var. estevesii




I noticed that ants do a good pollinator job