Tillandsia penduliscapa (Rauh) J.R.Grant Click thumbnails for full size, scaled to a new window.
Tillandsia penduliscapa
Peter Tristram 10/13.
Chris Larson 11/13.
Peter Tristram ... "A proud Chris Larson holding aloft a splendid specimen of T/Vr penduliscapa. The plant was imported from Jeff Kent a couple of years ago (as longiscapa!) and is the longest one to bloom so far. I think it will end up Chris’s length." Chris larson ... "I showed Peter these photos a couple of days ago. Of course the phone doesn’t do as good a job as the Nikon camera, but you get the picture. Both ex-Kent under different names (possibly a mix up during dipping at AQIS/DAFF) – but different plants with similar flowers – and probably the same species.
The smaller appear to have the same type of foliage as Peters, but the large is distinctly different."
Peter Tristram 11/13.
Peter Tristram ... "Chris has this neat species in bloom too and photos of his very long are posted above.
The problem for me is that the first (imported as) ‘longiscapa’ in a different import only has 20 mm floral bracts whereas this baby has 40-45 mm fb, matching the description nicely for that criteria.
At least some of these were misnamed fragrans, so that’s another issue!
But E&D’s Taxon lists a Vr. longiscapa Ule. I would like to find out more about this one!"
Chris Larson 10/18 as fragrans??
Chris Larson ... "This is a plant that I have been growing for some years. Last time I didn’t get the chance to check the ID out. Another that has no tag. I have 2 plants – one on the disc as T. pendulispica has a really long inflorescence (me holding my plant in Pedros photo). I have another as TV. fragrans – a little smaller & which I thought was this one, though does have a rosette more intermediate to the size of TV penduliscapa, though last time it was a little larger. The flower colour alone has it fairly as T. penduliscapa, but I’ll have to check the other differentials next time I’m at work. Pretty thing though." Peter Tristram ... "Hi Chris. Unfortunately nothing from our imports labelled as T/Vr fragrans has bloomed as such. I have scolded you many times for not changing labels!!! This species, sold to me by Jeff Kent as TV fragrans and TV longiscapa, was easy to identify as TV penduliscapa (not pendulispica which is a Racinaea now) when it bloomed not long after importing it in 2012. It’s one of the easier, bulbous-based TVs to grow and blooms regularly for me too. Quite a few collectors should have it by now as I usually take some pups to the Till Day. Please be careful not to take pups off most TVs too small – they aren’t as hardy as fasciculatas and the like and prefer some initial ‘body’ mass to get a move on!" Chris Larson ... "I had sort of figured it out, but having my plants at such a distance means I can’t bring them to the house to check keys easily – and by the time I get back to the nursery I’ve forgotten. Which is why labels don’t get changed. I have success with the smaller form which is easier – ie which is easy to remove - but the others are a little softer, and need that mass.
Some probably have these from me under these names T. longiscapa & fragrans."
Bruce Dunstan 03/24
Bruce Dunstan ... "First flowering for me. Note the branched inflorescence the description says always simple spike. My fertiliser regime the likely cause." Peter Tristram ... "The TVs are a very interesting and attractive group, for sure! I imported this species (as longiscapa) from Jeff Kent in 2012 and bloomed them regularly until the heatwaves of 2017/18/19 when the plants deteriorated badly each summer. It was around 40 in the Till house, even with misting and fans and over 35 outside, each day for far too long, in each of those years. Interesting to see a branched spike too."
