Tillandsia Halley's Comet
Click thumbnails for full size, scaled to a new window.

Tillandsia Halley's Comet
cv of baileyi by Rolly Reilly <1995.
Ken Woods 02/08
Bryan Atkins 12/23
Steve Molnar 12/16
Ian Hook 01/19. Photo Lochlan Maclay


Geoff Beech 02/19 as 'schidieana v. Major'. (probably T. baileyi)
Justin Lee 02/19 T. baileyi
Geoff Beech ... "?? labelled as 'schidieana v. Major' (sic)"
Dale Dixon ... "I think it’s Tillandsia baileyi ‘Haley’s Comet’"
Geoff Beech ... "Thanks Dale and Graham looks right for 'Halley’s Comet' the label threw me for a minute."
Rob Bower ... "Or just baileyi ?"
Justin Lee ... "My T. baileyi seems to clump up before flowering."
Bob Hudson ... "Word has it that 'Halley's Comet' is a sport of baileyi ?"
Rob Bower 02/19, 'Halley's Comet'
Chris Larson 02/19, 'Halley's Comet'
Chris Larson ... "I’m with Rob. T. baileyi. Unless it has viviparous pups from the spike at a later stage, it would then be T.Halley’s Comet."
Dale Dixon ... "I have both forms of T. baileyi and I believe that they are correctly identified. What I’ve noticed with my plants is that the viviparous form produces offsets at the base prolifically even if not flowering, while the non-viviparous form doesn’t. It still produces pups but not in the quantities that Halley’s Comet does. Have you noticed this also? Do you think this could be a spotting character to aid in identification? Interested in your observations."
Chris Larson ... "Hi Dale. Yes at times. But I find that Halley’s Comet does not TEND to have strong pseudo-bulbs like this plant has. Also, seedling T. baileyi's have a tendency to throw up multiple pups before flowering. This occurs across many species.
But to answer your question more directly; yes this does give some idea, but not enough to hang your hat on."
Chris Larson ... "Just noticed this clump of Halley’s Comet in flower. The plants are always thinner. The floral bracts don’t overlap tightly like the normal T. baileyi. It is not distichous either. Check the scape bracts and primary bracts in this photo – then have a look at Geoff’s photo."

Updated 02/01/24