Puya chilensis

Habit and inflorescence of Puya chilensis.

The Puya chilensis is a plant of the family Bromeliaceae ( Bromeliaceae ). The specific epithet chilensis means " native to Chile ."

Occurrence

The home of Puya chilensis in central Chile, the regions IV to VII It grows mostly in the sun, always with little shade on north-facing slopes or flat areas in relatively dry areas of the coastal mountains, with elevations ranging from 500 to 2000 meters or on the coast, at altitudes between 0 to 500 meters. The drying times take depending on location 3 to 10 months mainly or exclusively winter rainfall and annual rainfall of 100 to 800 mm.

Description

Puya chilensis grows as evergreen xerophytic perennial plant that reaches the plant height of several meters. It is formed a rosette of leaves on a rarely simple or usually branched like candelabra base. The coarse, stiff protruding, parallel venation leaves running into a sharp tip, have a length of 0.8 to 1 meter and a width of about 5 centimeters. The leaf margin is armed with stout, hooked curved, about 1 cm long spines. The lower leaf surface is scaly.

Only after many years an upright, relaxed, rispiger total inflorescence is formed which is composed of numerous racemose - aged men part inflorescences. It contains many bracts and many individual flowers. The upper halves of the partial inflorescences are sterile. A up to 1.5 cm long flower stalk may be present or absent. The hermaphrodite flowers are in threes. The three greenish sepals are up to 3.5 cm long with a rounded tip and are bald or hairy. The three greenish petals are up to 6.5 cm long and rotate the fading spiral one. The six free stamens have bright orange anthers. The flowers make much nectar. In its heyday, one can observe hummingbirds and other birds that pollinate the flowers ( Ornithophilie ).

There are trained fruit capsules, each containing many small, capable of flying seeds are formed. After semen and Kindel education the mother plant dies slowly.

Use

Puya chilensis is one of the few Puya species that are maintained in some parks and gardens.

The leaves can be eaten. The young stems are eaten as a salad. From the fibers of the sheets are made networks.

System

Puya chilensis was first described by Juan Ignacio Molina in 1782 Saggio sulla Storia Naturale del Chili 160, 351. Synonyms are Pourretia Ruiz & Pavon coarctata, Pitcairnia coarctata ( Ruiz & Pavon ) Persoon, Puja suberosa Molina, Pitcairnia chilensis Loddiges Cat. ex Loudon, Puya coarctata ( Ruiz & Pavon ) Fischer, Puya gigantea Phillipi, Puya chilensis var gigantea ( Phillipi ) Baker ex Mez.

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