Tillandsia Druid Click thumbnails for full size, scaled to a new window.
Tillandsia Druid
cv. of ionantha. Natural sport from the Veracruz, Mexico area.
Ken Woods 01/04
Ken Woods 11/07
Birgit Rhode, Auckland, at Bromeliads XIII 10/05.
Chris Larson 09/18 from Thai
Chris Larson 09/18 ... "The BCR gives very mixed messages about T. Druid. It talks about being a plant from Vera Cruz and being of a specific form. Then, lately, there has been alternative albino forms of ionantha (Derek has also acknowledged they are not likely to be the same), very unlikely to have origins in a similar environment due to the nature of their physical attributes, posted on the BCR. One is short, thick and stout – the other is finer, longer leaved, and more likely to come from a wetter area. The Registrar has not advised me of any course of action or amended the photos on the BCR to adjust this. As I pointed out in my emails of a few months ago, I thought of calling the plant currently sold as Druid through Asia T. Thai White. Since I raised this issue, it has not been addressed, so Collectors Corner will be using the term T. ionantha Druid to apply to this plant in accordance with the photos on the BCR. Though I feel that the reference of the notes to the nature of Mexican T. Druid coming from Vera Cruz is no longer relevant to this cv, and should be removed from the BCR. This alternate form is also in mass production throughout Asia and then shipped all over the world."
Ian Cook 10/16
Derek Butcher 05/19 as scaposa albino
Chris Larson 05/19 the new, white, Asian 'Druid'
Derek Butcher ... "Bill Treloar from Bute, South Australia, gets his supply of Tills from Chris Larson on a regular basis. He has just flowered a T. scaposa with white petals.
To me it seems to be an albino sport just like we got 'Druid' from T. ionantha. Who else has had this happen? We did consider T. kolbii but that comes from Copala in Oaxaca, Mex. At the moment I am considering a cultivar name like 'Bute Scape' but await an avalanche of Emails." Chris Larson ... "I had a discussion about this plant with Bill the other day. My advice was to show you.
Looking at the plant in the photo, im not seeing T. scaposa. More likely the T. Druid coming out of Asia. So I may have made a mistake - depending on how long ago Bill got it from me.
When you looked at the plant, did you think T. scaposa or a form of T. ionantha with relatively few trichomes?
P.S. The Asian T. Druid would now be in more Aussie collections than the old one. & I'm not sure that there are not 2 different forms of the Asian one. They look a little different but I haven't studied them to rule out cultue as a reason." Derek Butcher ... "Yes I felt it but did not take it to bits. It seemed to have a very short peduncle below the inflorescence , hence the suggestion of T. scaposa which usually has a peduncle of a couple of centimeters. This reminds me of T. brachycaulos which can have a short peduncle or none!
Your suggestion of it being linked to the Asian 'Druid' seems more likely but I would like to hear from other collectors as to whether they had experienced a 'proper' T. scaposa behaving badly with white petals." Peter Tristram ... "I agree with Chris - Druid of some type. T. scaposa here aren’t white petalled." Chris Larson ... "Above is the new, white, Asian Druid that I have. Grown too lushly."
