Tillandsia Olwen's Treasure Click thumbnails for full size, scaled to a new window.
Tillandsia Olwen's Treasure
From BCR ... "Mature rosette to 20cm. diameter. Grey-green, secund, semi-channeled, upwards-curving leaves, tapering to a point. Side-blooming, straight spike to 13cm. long with salmon pink bracts and tubular, exserted mauve flowers. This plant came from the collection of pioneer grower Olwen Ferris back in the 1980s. Olwen was one of the prolific seed growers in Australia at that time. It's unknown whether Olwen imported the seed, sourced the seed locally, bred it herself, or procured the plant as a pup. This cultivar has been grown as T. seleriana small form, or even probably seleriana x scaposa. Named in honour of Olwen, due to her work in growing (particularly) tillandsia seed and her generosity with knowledge." seleriana? x scaposa?" by Olwen Ferris, Qld, ~1970
Rob Bower 09/20 small form? less than 1/3 of normal size (Probably a T. seleriana clone)
Rob Bower ... "This is my small form of seleriana - I think. It flowers at the same time as larger forms and I was speculating on what hybrid it might be until Pam Butler mentioned that there are small forms around." Chris Larson ... "Yes there are a number of small forms of T. seleriana around which is why I was querying the one from Barry & Neville. I have 3 or 4 different ones with small form on them. Very nice form - but different to the one from Olwen. Yours looks true to seleriana. Great shape & colour."
Chris Larson 09/20 small form ex Barry Genn. Hybrid? to be registered. (Now T. 'Olwen's Treasure')
Chris Larson ... "Someone, somewhere, in the past few weeks, was asking about small forms of T. seleriana. Then I found that this one was doing its thing. T. seleriana Small Form ex Barry Genn. Lots of things about it seem different to my other seleriana. What's the history Barry? A very nice little plant." Barry Genn ... "This plant has been in cultivation in this area at least, for a long time. Neville Ryan may be able to shed some light on it's origin. I have always thought that it didn't look quite right for a straight seleriana, and suspect that it could be a seleriana x scaposa ?" Neville Ryan ... "As far as I know this plant came from Olwen Ferris, where she got it from I don’t know." Dale Dixon ... "I got mine from Margaret Paterson." Chris Larson ... "I can measure this up and register it. I have the photos. What shall we put on it?
I noticed that Olwen doesn't appear in the BCR, at least with her name in the plant title. A great grower in Australian Tillandsia history.
Name suggestions : T. Olwen's ........ Can someone call it for me ?" Dale Dixon ... "I did not know Olwen but can’t help but think that this is gift from the past from Olwen. What about Tillandsia ‘Olwen’s Legacy’?
Legacy - anything handed down from the past, as from an ancestor or predecessor. Just a suggestion." Ed. 11/20 ... "Now registered as T. 'Olwen's Treasure', seleriana? x scaposa?" by Olwen Ferris ~1970.
