RUBROMARGINATA  Rose, 1905 

Series Gibbiflorae

Distribution : Mexico (Veracruz, Puebla)

Description by Rose in North American Flora, 22: 23. 1905 :

Acaulescent or short-caulescent.

Leaves few, about 12, stiff, ascending, oblanceolate 6 - 12 cm long, narrowed to a short thick petiole, obtuse, mucronate, glabrous, glaucous with somewhat crenulate margins.

Flowering stems 50 - 120 cm high, the lower leaves spatulate and obtuse, the upper ones ovate and acute, inflorescence paniculate, 10 - 20 cm long, pedicels very short.

Flowers : Sepals very unequal, the longer ones 8 - 9 mm long, spreading, glaucous, corolla pale rose-coloured, 12 mm long, a little paler within, petals acute thick.

Cytology : n = 27

Note :

1. Walther (Echeveria, 188 - 191, 1972) and accordingly also Kimnach in Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants, 2003, classify E. gloriosa as synonym of E. rubromarginata. This is simply wrong as a comparison of the photos on the respective type sheets undoubtedly evidences (see first photo below).

In order to take this synonymisation into account, Walther modified his description of E. rubromarginata accordingly, and he also took into account a plant he himself had collected at Esperanza, Puebla, i.e. a plant not from the type locality of E. rubromarginata near Orizaba, Veracruz, differing from the latter distinctly. Conclusion : Walther's text on E. rubromarginata is of no use at all, and accordingly also Kimnach's summary of it in IHSP, 2003.

2. Plants occurring in Puebla considered to be E. rubromarginata, are much more robust than plants from the type locality in Veracruz, the side-branches of their inflorescences are more numerous and bear more flowers.