Tillandsia Zik Zak
Click thumbnails for full size, scaled to a new window.
Tillandsia Zik Zak
paleacea x paleacea Andreas Boeker ~2009
Ron Jell ... "The tag reads Tillandsia paleacea var. 'HeSa'. I have done all the usual checks but I cannot find any record of it except in overseas sales lists I really like it, I think it's a quite desirable, large flower for a small plant and it has a delicate perfume. Does anyone have any information on it?"
Geoff Lawn ... "Here is some information from Peter Tristram's Master List of Tillandsia imports from Burkhard Holm (Germany).
"2010 T. paleacea HeSa. Cultivar name 'Zik Zak' . Andreas Boeker's name for a plant from Helmut Sanger."
So I guess "HeSa" refers to Helmut Sanger. Maybe Peter knows more or I could query with Tanja Richter (Burkhard Holm's daughter) where this cultivar originated--presumably wild-collected by German growers.
Neither 'Zik Zak' nor 'HeSa' are registered names."
Peter Tristram ... "Geoff now has the info. The 'var.' shouldn't be on the label though, just HESA from before I knew about Helmut Sanger's involvement (Andreas found this out), then HeSa or Zik Zak more recently. I had been waiting for Andreas to bite the bullet, being a plant in a few German collections. He was trying to find out more about it, especially where it was collected. Yes, mine came from Holm and I rarely saw it in collections. Quite a unique and ornamental Tillandsia! Well done blooming it, Ron!"
From BCR; now registered by Peter Tristram ... "Unusual variant of T. paleacea. Plant stockily caulescent to 40cm, with closely-spaced, semi-inflated sheaths and zig-zagging, finely scaled, channeled, grey-green scurfed leaves. Erect inflorescence branched with typical paleacea flowers. Exact origin unknown but first cultivated in Germany. Zik Zak is German for zig zag. Previously nicknamed in Australia as "HeSa" after the german collector Helmut Sanger."
| Peter Tristram 08/17 |
Peter Coyle |
Updated 28/09/17