Tillandsia Stupendo
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Tillandsia Stupendo
Houston x leonamiana (Ed. "leonamiana" was probably recurvifolia v. subsecundifolia). Dimmitt/Isley, Arizona USA. 1989
Pam Butler 09/18
Ray Clark 10/18 as 'Collossus'
Ray Clark ... "In April 2016 I bought this plant at a BSSA sales event just because I like it. Now with time on my hands I am doing some more house keeping and I cannot find this plant on the DVD, BinA or the BCR.
It came from Chris Larson labeled as leonamia x ‘Houston’, does anyone have any further info like hybridser or why it does not appear anywhere? Nice soft green scurfy leaves and reasonably hardy too."
Derek Butcher ... "Ray: But you didn't look at Rainforest Flora web site where there seems to be lots of unregistered hybrids. Remember that his market would not bother with the BCR, so why register. Why did I think Isley. In a word 'leonamiana' which was the Yank name for recurvifolia v. subsecundifolia."
Chris Larson ... "I have been growing this one for a number of years ex-RFI. I contacted Paul with a flowering photo & he said I had the parentage around the wrong way (though I checked the paperwork and I’d transcribed it correctly – so I looked at this and saw T. Collosus on his web site (as UD points out). At least I thought I did, as recently I saw this hybrid as T. Stupendo on the BCR – another thing I have noticed with Paul’s hybrids. So lately I have changed the name to T. Stupendo and recently there have been photos by both Pam B & me on BinA under the name T. Stupendo – same plant."
Bruce Dunstan 09/20
Pam Butler ... "What is the cross on this? It doesn't look like Stupendo."
Bruce Dunstan ... "I got it from John Olsen and he got it from Chris Larson. Maybe these are grex grown plants as they are from RFI."
Chris Larson ... "History:
• Received plant from RFI as the T. leonamiana X Houston.
• Contacted Paul Isley with a photo & import details.
• Who said he only has the reverse cross - and never did leonamiana X Houston - and this plant was T. Collossus.
• Then I looked for Collossus (RFI web site & BCR & Google) - and couldn't come up with anything.
• Then, quite some time later, found this cross (T. Houston X leonamiana) as T. Stupendo - I think I found it on his web site.
• I have had name changes before from Paul - and differing plants within the grex - so I went with T. Stupendo"
Alfonso Trudu 11/21 as T. leonamiana x 'Houston'
Alfonso Trudu ... "We have T. leonamiana x 'Houston', another unregistered hybrid, in flower. It was created by Paul Isley and probably imported into Australia by Chris Larson. It is the reverse cross of T. 'Stupendo'. It has longer leaves and a more compact flower."
Chris Larson ... "Hi Alfonso: I've talked to Paul about this. This formula was on the paperwork, but Paul told me that there was no reverse cross and it would have to have been T. 'Stupendo'.
Like most of Paul's plants it is a hybrid grex – which accounts for the minor differences. You can get a larger inflorescence when left to clump. Also a tighter plant when grown hard."
Alfonso Trudu ... "Hi Chris, thank you for your input. I am happy with another T. 'Stupendo'. At least we know the full story of the plant."

Updated 19/12/21