Paradoxa

Parentage : Echeveria setosa x Pachyphytum oviferum

Originator: Pierre Gossot, Corbeil, France, 1934.

First described and named by Gossot in Notre Vallée No. 24-25, July-Dec. 1938 as
“Echephytum paradoxum Gossot. Echeveria paradoxale (Echeveria setosa Rose & Purpus x pachyphytum oviferum J.A. Purpus)”.

Gossot speaks of a “daring crossing” and an almost unique “heterogenous constitution” of this most beautiful plant. The shape of the rosette shows E. setosa but the leaves are entirely glabrous!

Jacobsen, A Handbook of Succulent Plants, 1960, p. 720:

“x Pachyveria paradoxa (Gossot) Rowley (Echeveria x paradoxa Gossot, x Echephytum paradoxum (Gossot) Jacobs.). – Hybrid: Echeveria setosa Rose et Purp. x Pachyphytum oviferum J. A. Purp. – Rosetttes mostly solitary, regularly dense, of medium size; L. numerous, somewhat variously shaped, elongate-lanceolate, back surface convex and somewhat keeled, upper surface flat or a little concave, green, not pruinose; I. mostly solitary, F. reddish-green.”

Jacobsen, Lexicon of Succulent Plants, second edition, 1977, p. 314:

“x P. paradoxa (Gossot) Rowl. Cv. Paradoxa (E. x p. Gossot, 1936, x Echephytum p. (Gossot) Jacobs.). – Hybrid: E. setosa x P. oviferum. – Ros. Usually solitary, dense, regular; L. oblong-lanceolate, thick, fleshy, glabrous, green, not pruinose; Fl. reddish-green.

ISI 983 (1976):

“x Pachyveria paradoxa (Goss.) Rowl. Though hybridized many years ago, this interesting bigeneric cross between Echeveria setosa and Pachypyhtum oviferum has not found its way into collections, yet its plump fresh green rosettes are most decorative. HBG 29479 rooted cuttings of a plant from Longwood Gardens, Pennsylvania.”

Whether this very special x Pachyveria is still alive is not known.