5075
This is a form of this lithophytic species from Venezuela that grows to nearly 10 inches tall, or at least generally larger than most other clones. Other than that it is typical, needle like ¾ inch long leaves on a long stem, silvery green, tinting red in good light and blushing deep red at the crown near anthesis. Flaring, tubular flowers are bright red.
8026
A nice hybrid by Jim Irvin that unfortunately he never named nor registered. Using two South American species native to warm to hot arid regions. Tillandsia babuagrandensis is a species with a simple inflorescence of pinkish red from Peru in the region of Bagua Grande in the state of Amazonas and the didisticha is a handsome species from Bolivia and Argentina with a branched pink inflorescence.
The cross has many short, stiff, pointed leaves with a coating of silver trichomes. The inflorescence is a tall spike with on or two upright branches, red with silver trichomes giving it a pinkish coloration. Easy to grow, pups well and does best in bright light, mounted.
5141
A rare and handsome lithophytic species from Guerrero, Mexico with succulent, silvery leaves that are fairly narrow, forming a somewhat bulbous based rosette to about 8 inches across or so. A clumping species that forms large colonies of many plants.
Quite beautiful in bloom, it has a spike with several branches that is bright pink and longer than the leaves. Flowers are deep purple-blue. We originally obtained this plant from Prof. Dr. Werner Rauh who was the author of this species.
5684
Paul Isley’s hybrid of (seleriana x ionantha) is a small grower, larger than the ionantha parent, but half the size of seleriana. The shape is largely like the seleriana; bulbous at the base with somewhat cylindric, tapering leaves growing upright to form a sort of teardrop shape. Very fuzzy and silvery with trichomes and it blushes reddish at anthesis.
The inflorescence is held within the foliage, without a discernible scape, unlike the seleriana parent. Very nice.
108
A beauty that grows in long caulescent clusters, with wide, stiff, silvery-white leaves. The inflorescence is a simple thin red spike. Native to central Mexico. Can be cultivated in a basket, mounted or hanging from a wire or string. Likes bright light and good air circulation.
1909
This is a very nice plant that we collected in back in the 1990’s near El Cameron, Oaxaca, Mexico at an altitude of 4,600 feet. It was an obvious hybrid and the only possible parents were both growing in the same area; T. fasciculata ‘Lithophytic Form’ and ionantha v. stricta.
The plant was a single clump of three plants growing lithophytically (see photo taken in the wild) and we took the larger plant. Over the years this plant has developed into a real beauty, similar to ‘Nidus’ (another fasciculata x ionantha hybrid from Veracruz) but distinctly different.
It has soft but firm leaves in an upright rosette, somewhat caulescent, about 12 inches long, with a short scape with clustered branches that rises about two to three inches. The bracts are red and flowers blue. The foliage blushes red but the scurf on the leaves make them appear pink. No cultural problems under ‘normal’ Tillandsia culture.
8449
A cultivar of (limbata x kegeliana) by Bill Timm, a large growing, unusual cross. The plant forms a large open rosette shape of many narrow, tapering silvery leaves. Very full, it can easily reach 30 inches across and over a foot tall without the inflorescence. The inflorescence is tall but has a short rachis with many long, semi-terete branches, some compound, numbering fifteen or so. The color is pale red to rusty orange over green, with purple flowers.
6571
A cross made by Steve Correale is not only unusual, but really does not strongly resemble either of the parent plants. The foliage is broad, channeled and tapers to a fine point, much like a typical T. fasciata, which should be familiar to many. Tillandsia foliosa has softer, green foliage and the leaves of concolor are much smaller and narrow but stiff. The inflorescence is erect with a cluster of glossy, deep red-burgundy branches. Scape bracts are very long and leaf-like and the floral bracts are broad and much shorter. A handsome, unusual plant.
1111
A reverse cross of the outstanding hybrid ‘Steve’ by Steve Correale which is (fasciculata ‘Magnificent’ x chiapensis). Very similar in most aspects, maybe just a bit more scurffy with an inflorescence that is more open than in the ‘Steve’. A plant of heavy, thick substance. The inflorescence has a similar shape to that of the fasciculata parent, which is an outstanding form native to northern Panama, but is a bit thicker and heavily dusted with the silver trichomes over red that makes the inflorescence fuzzy pink like that of the chiapensis parent.
5078
A stunning hybrid of (pseudobaileyi x streptophylla) by Robert Spivey that is a perfect balance of the two parents. It has clean lines with a bulbous base and upright terete foliage that is slightly wavy and silvery gray. The inflorescence is erect with several branches, slightly exceeding the foliage. The scape and branches are bright pink becoming silvery white. A choice hybrid and easy to grow.
6055
A stunning hybrid of (chiapensis x tricolor) takes on the very best of both species. In general the shape is like that of tricolor, an open rosette of narrow, fairly stiff leaves. They differ from the wide leaves of chiapensis but take on the silvery coloration of that species. The inflorescence is taller than the foliage, with a central spike and three or four side branches, rather like the shape of the tricolor parent. The color is glossy red in the center with a dusting of silver trichomes towards the margins, which appear pink. Immature branches are yellow and flowers blue. A very colorful hybrid!
7907
A pink form of this spectacular cross by Steve Correale of (chiapensis x fasciculata ‘Magnificent’) SC. A good blend of the parents; the basic shape of a fasciculata, but with more ‘substance’ and scurffing, like the chiapensis parent. The inflorescence has the shape of the fasciculata, which is an outstanding form native to northern Panama, but is a bit thicker and heavily dusted with the silver trichomes over red that makes the inflorescence fuzzy pink like that of the chiapensis parent. When well grown, one of the most spectacular of Tillandsias.