Tillandsia Confusion
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Tillandsia Confusion
BCR ... "A plant that had been grown in Australia for over 30 years as T. 'Nez Misso'. Action started at the 'Tillandsia Conference', Albury, in April, 2004. Tenuifolia Group. Registered 1/2005 by Ken Woods.
cv of unknown parentage."
Chris Larson ... ".. long thin caulescent stems. The leaves are also long and thin, showing tendencies of (probably) T. tenuifolia."
Ken Woods 02/08.
George Nieuwenhoven 10/11
Rob Bower 07/18
Rob Bower 08/20
Justin Lee 10/20
Ray Clark 10/21
("left" plant, both together, and "right" plant)
Ray Clark ... "A little conundrum for the curiuos amongst you all. The plant on the left came from Ian Cook who got it from Derek Butcher as tenuifolia, the plant on the right came from Chris Larson as T. 'Confusion'. And, I am perplexed if not confused, they appear to be almost identical to each other and 'Confusion' has a history from what I see on the BCR."
Ian Cook ... "Very much like T. aeranthos grisea also from Derek Butcher. Yours more violet, less grisea." Ed. (Attached pic. stored on T. Nez Misso.)
Ray Clark ... "Help me out here guys, I know that tenuifolia / aeranthos etc are variable and mixed up but I was comparing two tenuifolias with different names and look the same. How does areanthos grisea come into the mix?"
Ian Cook ... "Ray I thought your plant’s inflo looked very similar when I made the comment. When they were both on the screen I could see major difference in colour and aeranthos grisea leaves more silver."
Ed. ... "T. aeranthos grisea is not listed on the Taxon list. These plants were registered as T. Nez Misso and regarded as "in the tenuifolia group".
But both Derek Butcher and Ken Woods grew a similar plant for many years. Their confusing plants became registered as T. Confusion.
This confusion among "splitters" is sometimes avoided by "lumpers" who group all aeranthos, tenuifolia, jonesii, stricta, etc as variations of the same thing !
I have also noticed that my T. Confusion, ex. Ken Woods, flowers infrequently and very short lived flower spike."

Chris Larson ... "The origins of T. Confusion: plants were circulating without name or provenance through the 80's and probably back to the 70s. Both Ken Woods and I were growing it - and they appeared the same. The description of T. tenuifolia is vague. Derek suggest we (Ken & I) name our plant with a cv name as it had no provenance and could have been a hybrid. Ken won the contest & had naming rights - T. Confusion (If I won, it would have been named T. Clarrie Borsch, after one of the old timers, and a wonderful gentlemen in our society when I joined - and the person I got my plant from).
As is our way with unnamed plants, some people said that it was close enough to T. tenuifolia - esp when they didn't know of the existence of the name T. Confusion - so that name went on to some of this widely distributed plants across the country. (This is very similar to the situation of T. Leon. Fits the description. Has no provenance. Yet people keep on removing the cv name from the form. No-one knows if it is a species - and it is distinct from the other forms of T. leonamiana that are around.)
Now, Ray, you can sort out whether you lump with T. Confusion. Label it with T. tenuifolia, etc, etc. The thing of leaving it with the name it came with doesn't really do much - or maybe it does????????"
Ray Clark ... "Chris Larson thanks mate, I appreciate your input. I am convinced both of the plants in question are definitely tenuifolias but are they both ‘Confusion’ or both a variation on the tenuifolia theme? I will ponder some more."
Chris Larson ... "To my mind, if the plant has no provenance - and it sort of fits the T. Confusion profile - that's what it is."
Ray Clark ... "Chris Larson and provenance is what guides me, so that will be the answer."
Nick Rourke ... "Actually the first till I ever owned ....
Was gifted to me by a friend who got it from a well known Sydney collector back in the day. For years I though it was aeranthos until I had an epiphany.... confusion no more !!!
It grows like a weed here now 10 years later I have multiple clumps from division."

Updated 11/10/21