Tillandsia Little Star
Click thumbnails for full size, scaled to a new window.
Tillandsia Little Star
From BCR ... "Imported from Bird Rock Tropicals as a natural hybrid. TX057 from Costa Rica.
supposedly juncea x schiedeana
Note possible links to T. chapalillaensis
Ray Clark ... "This one is a little intriguing in that it came to me from Derek labelled juncea x schiedeana and a bit of searching leads to more questions.
The cross is listed on the BCR as 'Little Star', however my plant does not seem a perfect fit but that could amount to growing conditions etc and more importantly Little Star is allegedly a natural hybrid which is what led me to the BCR in the first place.
Apparently there are links to T. ’Tooshi’, is anyone else growing a plant under this formula or perhaps shed some light for me please?"
Dale Dixon ... "I have a similar plant that Derek identified as Tillandsia ‘Taurus’."
Peter Tristram ... "The plant looks like T. chapalillaensis ! This species grows true from seed."
Vic Przetocki ... "I originally obtained my plant as juncea x schiedeana but treated it as Till. Little Star as I couldn’t see much difference. Have grown a lot of it from seed and all look the same, maybe very slight difference in flower colour. Very prolific with seed production which germinates easy, even germinates on the old flower spike. Never thought about trying to key it out to a species because of the hybrid formula. Planted a lot of the seedlings on a cork slab many years ago, they usually only produce the one offset which I tend not to separate. The cork slab is located in a shaded area down the side of the house, midday sun and back in the shade by about 2.00pm."
Derek Butcher ... "Interesting Vic and Ray. Did you get your T. juncea x schiedeana from me? If so it originated from Rolly Reilly and I assumed it was Tooshie's "Dad" but never followed it up with Rolly. Was it a Rolly hybrid or did it link to the hybrid that BirdRock were selling under formula which Bill Timm called 'Little Star'. But was it a hybriid? Your experience suggests not, which brings us to T. chapalillaensis. This species is a fascinating read because it was first thought to be a hybrid and could well have been collected years and years ago, identified as juncea x schiedeana and sold as such in the USA.
Following blood lines I will be suggesting to Ray that he call his plant 'Tooshie's Dad' and get it registered."
{*Ed. ... T. Tooshie is listed as schiedeana x (juncea x schiedeana) by Rolly Reilly, but that pollen parent was never registered, hance the suggested 'Tooshie's Dad'.}
Ray Clark ... "Firstly, Dale I am not convinced about Taurus as for that cross the parents are unknown and unlikely at best I think.
Peter, coincidentally I posted chapalillensis yesterday also and I did allude to interesting reading in the word document that Derek has since attached, a possibility maybe?
Vic, yes i was prepared to settle for Little Star until Derek weighed in.
My plant did indeed come from Derek and my records do show that he got it from Rolly Reilly so we’re able to track back that far at least.
I’m open to thoughts about names, Little Star or Tooshi’s Dad."
Vic Przetocki ... "Derek, I think I got my plant from you."
Derek Butcher ... "Ray. We are progressing - slow but sure! No other collector here has claimed they have this plant from Rolly which makes things easier. Whatever name is decided on, it should be the same for both yours and Vic's. I have done a special cc to Ross Little to see if it is in his famous Ledger. If it is recorded it may indicate nat. hyb. which would link it to a US import and thus 'Little Star'. If not we will have to have a King Solomon solution and the person currently with that title is Geoff."
Ray Clark ... "I got the chance to reread Renate’s thoughts again late today on Bromeliads in Australia, scratching of the brain made me put chapalilloensis beside juncea x scheidiana.
The leaf blades on chapalilloensis are consistently longer! A growth habit that has a clear and obvious difference between two plants growing almost side by side. Therefore I would be very much inclined to stand by your thoughts that my cross is not chapalilloensis.
Tooshi’s Dad it may be but that name doesn’t quite roll off my tongue. I’m interested to hear if Ross has anything."
Ross Little ... "Our register says, BBK #1790 Tillandsia schiedeana x juncea, 6/85 Ros/Shane.
Many entries either side of this one all dated 6/85 are from Isley, Luther and Okasaki, one from Tristram and OF, hope this helps."
Derek Butcher ... "EUREKA. This suggests to me it came into Australia under formula and is not a Rolly hybrid. Therefore they should be linked to 'Little Star' (Ross Little seems linked to the name too!!!!!!) I'll be putting Vic's photos into the BCR.
As Vic points out it grows true from seed suggesting it is not a natural hybrid and a botanist would no doubt treat it as within the ambit of T. chapalilloensis IF he knew where it was collected. As growers we have a different approach and have clonal names (offsets) which is why they get a mention in the BCR.
So, thanks to all for helping me solve a problem I thought was there."
Updated 04/05/19