True identity

This plant was bought in as T. ionantha X brachycaulos. I'm quite happy when it started to show sign of flowering a couple of weeks ago. Now, with the whole inflorescensce has finally emerge out I'm begining to have doubt on its true identity. I suspect this hybrid could be a cross between ionantha with caput medusae rather than brachycaulos. Note the multi spike inflorescence? That's not the characteristic of brachycaulos.

Whatever it was, it's a very succullent fat plant though. Can adapt to direct morning without any burns.

High Voltage???

This is a selected cultivar from cross of Hannibal Lector and Foster Pink Tips. A medium sized plant measuring about 15" width. A very tight plain green background leaves with many red cross banding giving this plant a kind of hypnotic effect. The only interesting character I like in this plant!

A frosty pink bloom

A hybrid of caput medusae with ehlersiana. It doesn't form any very broad pseudobulb. Look kind of like an over grown caput-medusae but the inflorescence is totally different from the typical of caput. A medium sized plant with its' velvety trichomes filled slender long leaves. Some what dry loving plant that tolerate plenty of sunlight.

T. streptophylla X ?

When I bought this plant, it was labelled as T. streptophylla X xerographica. From the initial untill now I still have doubt on it's identity. The leaves is too soft for a xerographica hybrid. I find this hybrid is leaning towards streptophylla parentage. There are no prominent formation pseudobulb but plenty of curling leaves.

Anyway, recently one of my plant is coming into bloom. Can hardly wait to see it full bloom inflorescence. Here are some photos to share with.

T. mallemontii

This plant look no difference from the ordinary T. usneoides. Actually there are few 'lost' strands of T. usneoides for comparision!. It looks kind of unattractive messy ball of weeds. But the attractive part is the voilet blue large showy flowers that makes it look unique. I have seen it being plants en mass. Just imagine a silver background with many bluish purple star.........

Not a fussy plant. It require plenty of light and regular watering. The best part is it flowers very freely.

Something Black

This is one of the blackest and darkest Neoregelia hybrids ever found among bromeliophiles. It's called Neo. Pitch Black. Very handsomel dark broad leafed plant growing up to about 15" diameter in full rosette form under bright light. I couldn't decide which picture look best. Well, just post both up for appreciation. Enjoy!

Another Vriesea

Well, couldn't get over it yet. Here's another one. It's called Snows of Mauna Kea. It's leaves have pure white base color with fine green tessalations.

Intricate leaf banding

Thought of posting other bromeliads rather than Tillandsias. Let me introduce this Vriesea. It's a complex hybrid of fosteriana and heiroglyphica. What intersting about this plant is the intricate leaf patterns with much of tessalations running across each leaves. As a whole, it creates a hypnotising spiralling effect. Most of these hybrids are famous for their leaf patterns instead fo flowers.

T. ehlersiana

This is one of the fattest, bulbous Tillandsia apart from T. bulbosa. It grows to a girth of about the size of a softball. Some may grow larger. Somewhat a xeric grower that need plentiful of sunlight to have those fuzzy looking and ofcourse the 'tennis ball' look!

It's native to the state of Chiapas, Mexico at about 700m altitude where it grows at granite gorges.

Something nice on Sunday Afternoon

Just capturing the effect of sunlight shining through their leaves. This is what I like most about bromeliads, their leaves are always glowing when hit by sunlight. The plant featured at the centre is T. tomasellii, a cousin of xerographica with longer and slimmer leaves.

T. tricholepis

One thing I like about Tillandsias is that sometimes they don't look like any bromeliads at all. This is a small caulescent plant with needle like spiky leaves. Its' appearence makes it look like a moss or lycopodium. It grow well in our loeland humid enviroment although this plant grows naturally at 2300m alt. in Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina.