Sue Gardner writes in her dissertation that she of the opinion that T. polita is a hybrid and suspects its parents as T. rotundata L. B. Smith and T. rodrigueziana Mez
She determined a high pollen-infertility. ( 0-18% fertility ).
Already in the 1980's Klaus and I did not share this opinion. The plant is very dispersed over many km. It grows in association with T. carlsoniae, T., vicentina var. wuelfinghoffii Rauh,, T. aff. dasyliriifolia, isolated from T. rodiguezianaMEZ, however much we looked for it.
T. rotundata could never be found in this area. Our observations were that it is not at home in some damp forest-area loves somewhat drier and lighter locations. We observed it largely occurring between Comitan and Las Margaritas as well as between Comitan and the Lagunas Montebello and in the area about Bochil. At all these places it grew with T. belloensia WEBER , T. rodrigueziana MEZ and T. dasyliriifolia. Hybrids between T. rodrigueziana and T. rotundata (L. B. SMITH) GARDNER could occur in this small area.
A pollen-examination of T. polita by Dr. Walter Till in Vienna yielded a fertility rate from approximately 90 % and Dr. Till after the examination, was of the opinion that it came from a species not a hybrid.
We got already in 1986 from Mr. Rudolf Wulfinghoff, Pforzheim, a photo of a plant, which he found in the area between Comitan and St. Cristobal.. It showed a plant, that was similar to T. polita, but had an inflorescence more narrow and much longer. Normally, T. polita has an almost spherical or egg shaped inflorescence. On our next trip to this area we were on the look out for this plant of Mr. Wulfinghoff's, but unfortunately we had no luck.
In the year 1998, on my trip with Jurgen Lautner, I came into the area again. And this time we arrived at a place where I found many copies of T. polita with long, cylindrical inflorescences. Unfortunately no fresh flowers existed because all the plants had already flowered.
December 2001 was the last trip to the area. Again, I had opportunity to explore this location for anything choice. All I saw brought a tear to my eye. This splendid forest had turned into what! Previously Klaus and I had called it "Our Wonderland" A gigantic area of primary forest, with many bromeliads, orchids and epiphytic cactus, where it seemed nature was in unison with itself in the unison. Already in 1989 we could see what was happening to our "Wonderland" but never thought it would go this far..
But back to our trip in December 2001. I had luck this time because there were many plants in flower and I had time to study the better quality plants and to photograph. I determined, that the Tillandsia with the long narrow inflorescence spreads over a rather large area and also in large quantities none of which resembled or nearly resembled the type species. The inflorescence is much longer and narrower, not almost spherical like T. polita, and it is composed of many more spikes. Therefore, it is justified to look at this plant as a variety. —SeeDie Bromelie
