Tillandsia chiletensis
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Tillandsia chiletensis
Note from Len Colgan :
I am proud to say that this plant is a direct descendent of the type specimen from Heidelberg, where it was described by Werner Rauh. It comes from Chilete, in the north of Peru near Cajamarca. Rauh compared this plant to T. xiphioides, which is amazing because that species only comes from Argentina and southern Bolivia. Derek Butcher has analysed the differences with T. lorentziana, which is much more sensible, despite the fact that T. lorentziana and T. xiphioides share common habitats, a long way from northern Peru. I also agree with Derek that the plant pictured on page 213 of Baensch’s book is T. lorentziana, and definitely not T. chiletensis.
Not being as botanically adept as Derek, the thing that strikes me is the flower on my plant. The shape of the sexual parts reminds me a bit of T. arequitae, but of course that species comes from even further away. I have T. lorentziana in flower also, and this is where the differences are most marked.
If you have something in your collection labeled T. chiletensis, you should compare with these two pictures.
Regards, Len.
Updated 29/12/07
