Tillandsia celata Ehlers & Lautner

Literature references:

BSA (Web) FCBS (Web)

Comments:

• History:
  On our 1993 trip we sought the location of T. atroviolacea discovered by Pamela Koide and Alfredo Lau , in order to take some location photos, and preferably to collect a flowering plant because the description of stamens and petals was still missing. Unfortunately, there were only some post floral specimens. We collected some big plants in the hope that these would soon flower for us in our collection at home. I noticed that these plants looked different with a somewhat narrower rosette, and the leaves somewhat greener with narrower, more acuminate blades. The differences seemed small, but I gave the plant an individual collection number and hoped, it could be something else! (I have just looked up in my trip-diary for 1993 and there it is, "EM 930902, hopefully not T. atroviolacea“).
  Already in the autumn of 1993, the plant formed an inflorescence that developed however very slowly, while T. atroviolacea did actually flower. In February 1994, the inflorescence was already quite big and still erect, whereas T. atroviolacea has a hanging iInflorescence.
  After our return from Mexico at the beginning of April, I saw to my surprise that the flowers were green and the plant was certainly not T. atroviolacea but an unknown species to me.Unfortunately the weather was very bad for days and the sun only appeared once so I placed the plant on the balcony for photographing. To my horror an extremely strong wind gust swept the so beautifully draped Tillandsia to the ground, - the inflorescence was broken off!
  I got a lifelike photo with cunning and trickery and wire afterall. But neither the plant nor the photo looked really good. Therefore, I asked all my friends to look out for this plant if they ever visited this location..
  
  Jürgen Lautner from Göttingen was in March 1994 near San Mateo Penasco.Already in the early morning he had climbed to the rocks at the location. Unfortunately he didn't heed the plants with the erect inflorescence. Much later it occurred to him that maybe the new species I had mentioned to him could still be there. On the way back to Yosondua, in the evening he once again climbed the rock wall, and after at least l hour searching, saw plants with erect inflorescences and spreading spikes with green flowers. He took photos, unfortunately in the late evening, so that only a black outline of the plant could be seen. He could reach only 3 small plants, unfortunately no flowering herbarium examples. This photo was able, at the most, to prove that there is really was a plant there!
  
  On several trips in the following years, I went to San Mateo Penasco again and again, and always I tried to find the plant with the erect inflorescence once again. –Always in vain. The very steep rock-walls are only reached after a long march. Once there climbing is very difficult let alone reaching plants.
  In February 2003 , Uli Lautner and Manfred Kretz climbed up to the summit but could not collect one plant.
  
  In 2005, I was now with my friends Jürgen and Uli Lautner and Manfred Kretz in Mexico once again. On 25th Feb, we came to San Mateo Penasco. This time I knew I could not reach the summit so I stayed behind. However, I instructed my mountain climbers to have a sharp lookout for the Tillandsia with the erect inflorescence. I waited in the car and after 3 hours, they came back. I already saw through the binoculars that they had something big in the bag. The tension was awesome! Full of enthusiasm, I saw them close up - 3 equally large shiny red erect inflorescences. I was surprised because my plant that had died in 1994 in the middle of the winter admittedly produced a large inflorescence but the spikes were completely green. How much more beautiful are the plants in nature in the sun of Mexico with their fiery red spikes. The biggest plant I received and the inflorescence are now deposited in the herbarium of the University of Vienna with Dr. Till. I am now certain that there is a wider occurrence of this plant and that it is not just a hybrid. A new Tillandsia can now be published. Since it has hidden for so many years despite all my searches and that of so many other collectors on this mountain area it should be given the name of T. celata - the hidden.
  The plant grows on steep rocks above San Mateo Penasco associated with T. atroviolacea Ehlers & Koide, T. penascoensis Ehlers & Lautner and T. aff, juncea. —See Die Bromelie