Alfonso Trudu 03/19 as 'Jonathan' (Not Registered)

Alfonso Trudu ... "A couple of weeks at a show we bought a very nice plant called Tillandsia 'Jonathan'. We liked the plant, but were not sure whether it was a Tillandsia, Wallisia or an intergeneric hybrid. The seller had a few dozens of very similar plants, so this is not a rarity. The colour of the flower was a lot brighter when we purchased the plant than it is now. We didn't ask for further information because she would not have given it to us. We had tried last time we bought from her. We took the plant to our bimonthly Tillandsia Study Group meeting, but nobody could help us to identify this plant. Can anybody help?"
Chris Larson ... "Ask the grower which firm he bought the tissue culture from. Then check Bak, DeRoose or other firm for detail.
Im assuming it is Tissue culture. Or just google. Or trawl through Bak, DeRoose etcs web sites.
Alfonso Trudu ... "Thank you, Chris. Yes, you are correct. I phoned the seller and was told that the plant is tissue cultured and comes from DeRoose. When I went to the DeRoose website (http://derooseplants.com/en/tillandsia/ ), the closest plant I could find was T. 'Antonio'. So I went to the BCR where I found this: - "Originally tissue-cultured and released by Deroose Plants circa 2010 as Tillandsia 'Antonio' but both it's parents were phylogenetically reclassified in Oct. 2016. (Barfuss et al Paper) See: x Wallfussia 'Antonio'. The entry has no picture yet. So maybe this is an x Wallfussia 'Antonio'."
Chris Larson ... "They will eventually put it on the website. Geoff somtimes chases them down - but it shouldn't be up to him. He has enough to do.
Derek Butcher ... "Interesting, because it has happened before where the European big boys have sent tissue culture to a different country using a different plant name. This happens quite frequently with Rose hybrids where it is accepted! BUT confusing!
Now to Tillandsia 'Antonio' which is sold in the US and European plant markets under this name. Clearly one of the plants supplying genetic material is Wallisia cyanea but what are the others. European nurseries will not willingly divulge parental detail. So we wait. In the meantime it seems prudent to treat it as a Tillandsia rather than use a possibly incorrect nothogenus.
I am intrigued how the Dept Ag have let in a plant with no proper name.
Geoff Lawn ... "The parentage of x Wallfussia 'Antonio' is Wallisia cyanea x Barfussia wagneriana, according to the breeder Chester Skotak who told me personally at the Sunnybroms Conference and also through Facebook comments on 'Antonio'.
"Jonathon" will probably remain a mystery for now, unless I rattle a few cages.
BCR ... "Originally tissue-cultured and released by Deroose Plants circa 2010 as Tillandsia 'Antonio' but both it's parents were phylogenetically reclassified in Oct. 2016. (Barfuss et al Paper) See: x Wallfussia 'Antonio'. Breeder Chester Skoyak. This entry 10/2016. by Geoff Lawn.
Alfonso Trudu ... "I bought 'Jonathan' from the Mullis sisters (Brisbane Bromeliad Center). After I had shown 'Jonathan' to Neville Ryan, he concluded that it was probably a cloned plant. So I phoned the sisters. One of them confirmed that it was a clone and came from DeRoose. However, it is not on the DeRoose web site. Neville has 'Antonio', but it does not look like 'Jonathan'. So I am stumped about this Tillandsia. When I bought 'Jonathan', the sisters had over a dozen plants of it for sale. They had others at the next show. So there is no shortage of supply."

Alfonso Trudu 06/19 as 'T. Jonathan'