Tillandsia Angustifolia
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Tillandsia Angustifolia
Originally imported as Tillandsia latifolia var angustifolia
Given a cultivar name, as a form of T. latifolia?
Bruce Dunstan 08/18 as latifolia v. angustifolia
George Nieuwenhoven 10/18

Bruce Dunstan 08/18 ... "This is a plant Derek Butcher gave me when I visited Adelaide a couple of years ago. It did nothing for a couple of years apart from growing a longer stem. I chopped it to encourage pups and it has certainly delivered. The inflorescence has been there for months without producing a flower, so far. I guess the angustifolia is another KK plant name."
Derek Butcher ... "They are really coming out of the woodwork. At least we can say this is a form of T. latifolia not T. divaricata!
This came from Karel Knize in 1978 when KK was known as Cactus man. 'Angustifolia' was in my first batch I ever imported. Why angustifolia I do not know because that means narrow-leaved!
Forever offsetting and never flowering. See what a change in scenery can do. Was it scared into performing or was it good husbandry or Qld weather.
So we await petals. I would like to record this in the BCR as 'Angustifolia' because it has an interesting story to tell AND a challenge to anyone south of the border."
Bruce Dunstan 10/18 ... "My T. latifolia var. angustifolia hasn’t produced flowers sadly. The spike is starting to look past its peak so I don’t think it will actually flower. It may have spent all its energy producing 33 offsests.
Measurements - Leaf length 105mm. Leaf base 18mm wide. Diameter of foliage 170mm. My plant has grown in a curved shape so length is difficult to measure but I have live leaves on the base and then measured 350mm to the tip of the inflorescence."
George Nieuwenhoven ... "Hi Bruce, here is my plant of T. latifolia var. angustifolia the whole plant is about 250 mm long, it doesn’t look as lush as yours but I hope it helps."
Ray Clark 10/21
Ray Clark ... "T. 'Angustifolia'. A very reluctant flowerer for me. Bruce Dunstan - did yours on Bromeliads in Australia ever flower? Looks like mine, just a spike and no actual flowers."
Chris Larson ... "I've flowered mine. The same small latifolia flowers."
Ray Clark ... "Chris Larson - what conditions are you able to provide?"
Chris Larson ... "Ray Clark - it used to hang in my greenhouse under laserlite, with shadecloth walls."
Bruce Dunstan ... "No flowers for mine, just a heap of pups."
Ray Clark ... "Bruce Dunstan - bugga!"

Tillandsia 'Angustifolia' by Derek Butcher October 2018.
This plant was imported by me from Karel Knize in 1978. It was in my first importation. It had Tillandsia latifolia var angustifolia on the label but I was never able to verify the species because it did not flower for me! Over the years I have had Tillandsias from Karel which seem to have been wild collected but with fanciful names which I thought was great for my enquiring mind. Anyway, this plant was forever offsetting and many times an offset was given away with the plea to tell me when it flowered. So it was a great surprise when Bruce Dunstan reported his plant was in bud. Alas, it did not actually flower but it was sufficient to identify links with Tillandsia latifolia. George Nieuwenhoven reports getting his from Chris Larson so it would seem this plant is struggling on, throughout Australia. Some may even have flowered it and not considered it an important occurrence! Surely it is worth a brag!
‘Angustifolia’ is a caulescent plant with the basal leaves drying, it offsets freely and seems to produce a single spike. Diameter of plant is 170 mm. Its length with live leaves is about 350 mm. Actual leaves are some 105 mm long and 18 mm wide at base.

Updated 11/10/21