Tillandsia Widgee
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Tillandsia Widgee
cv. of concolor X brachycaulos by Margaret Paterson.
Ken Woods, from Margaret Paterson. 04/06
'Widgee' ?? Jenny Brittain 6/3/17
'Widgee' ?? Jenny Brittain 8/3/17
Derek Butcher 7/3/17 ... "This is a T. concolor hybrid and generally you see a reddish tinge to the petals - see BCR. I wonder if it is a seedling from the next generation. Where did you get it? I am somewhat intrigued."
Bob Hudson 7/3/17 ... "I agree with DB. My T. Widgee have a very red foliage and a different spike formation."
Wendy Peske 7/3/17 ... "Jen got her Widgee from me. I'm not sure if it is one I got from Margaret Paterson when we visited her years ago or if I got it elsewhere later on. I think it is one from MP, maybe it is just one of the seedlings from the same batch. I'm not sure. I do think it is pretty ordinary as it doesn't colour up for me much at all. I think Jen got more colour out of it than I can get. The only saving grace here is that the red spikes peeping out of the centre is so contrasting to the green colour that it is eye catching. I might have to try one in a different spot and see if I can get more colour."
Jenny Brittain 8/3/17 ... "I took a couple more photo's this morning closer in towards the flower. See what you think. I like the look of this plant, the colouring up it has done, the deep red in the centre when coming into flower, the twisting of the leaves, and the flowers opened!"
Derek Butcher 8/3/17 ... "I have always been a 'species' man and forever recording in a separate file where the plant came from. This helps in my search for identity. As Wendy points out she thinks it came from MP but is not sure. When we check identity of a species we have type locality, herbarium specimens and description to help us. All these factors are used to identiify before bits are taken for DNA testing.
With hybrids we do not have this but we do have the BCR where we have alleged parents and a bi of a description to help us but the main assistance is in the photograph which in cultivar terms is called the Standard and is best obtained from the hybridist. The general shape seems to be constant but growing conditions does affect colouration. Regrettably I will not be recommending that your photo be treated as a typical 'Widgee' Perhaps you could use the botanical term of aff - thus aff 'Widgee'
See below for rest of this discussion...
From BCR
Ray Clark 24/04/17
Derek Butcher T. concolor 'Asmuss'
John Olsen 9/3/17
Rob Bower 9/3/17
Ray Clark 22/04/17 ... "Just a quick happy snap whilst the sun is out. Another beaut hybrid from the hand of Margaret Paterson."
Wendy Peske 8/3/17 ... "After comparing Jen\s pics with BCR pics I wonder if our plant has the spike up high enough out of the centre. other than that the infloresence does look the same just not high enough out of the centre of the plant."
Derek Butcher 9/3/17 ... "As you say, the peduncle (scape) does not seem long enough. Don't forget the reddish hues to the petals that T. concolor sometimes gives to its hybrids. An example of T. concolor Asmuss enclosed.
John Olsen 9/3/17 ... "This is my Widgee"
Rob Bower 9/3/17 ... "& here's mine."
Ron Jell 9/3/17
Bob Hudson 15/3/17
John Olsen 15/3/17
Ron Jell 9/3/17 ... "Two photos of my Tillandsia Widgee currently in flower. I bought it from Margaret Paterson in September 2014. I hope this may be of some help."
Wendy Peske 9/3/17 ... "Hi Ron. Your clone of widgee looks like mine. It doesn't rise up high in the centre and stays more green than flushing red. I'm sure ours came from MP. I think we got a dud clone in my opinion."
John Olsen 15/3/17 ... "Some Widgee photos from our Tillandsia group meeting Sunday. We figured all were Widgee except the second last one which may be a bodgy widgee."
Bob Hudson 15/3/17 ... "This is the second T. Widgee I have flowered and both have been the same. I think by your photos the spike on them does not extrude as much as mine.
Pam Butler 15/3/17 ... "Bob, yours definitely looks different to ours."
George Nieuwenhoven 04/19
Rob Bower 04/19
Vic Przetocki 02/20
George Nieuwenhoven ... "A Margaret Patterson Hybrid, I was hoping for a bit more colour but it's a nice hybrid anyway."
Rob Bower ... "Go for the sun tan George."
Vic Przetocki ... "I’m a bit confused about this one, the bracts on my plant have the same red edges as Derek’s photos on the BCR but there seems to be a lot of differing images of Widgee. Would there have been more than one clone distributed from the seed batch?"
Kerrt McNicol ... "Vic, I have two forms, Widgee and Little Widgee (not registered, that I can see) both procured directly from Margaret. I think there might be a few extras got through."
Bryan Atkins 03/21 "Little Widgee"
Bryan Atkins ... "A nice little unregistered Margaret Paterson hybrid T. Little Widgee. Same as T. Widgee, concolor x brachycaulos, only smaller as shown in the last photo."

Updated 04/04/21