Greigia species are stemless or a more or less short stem-forming, perennial, herbaceous plants . These xerophytes usually grow terrestrially or on rocks, less often than epiphytes . With their foothills, they often form dense stands. The numerous leaves , which vary in length depending on the species, are thin, elongated, coarse and strongly reinforced at the edge (prickly sawn).
At the pendant, simple, ährigen , head- or roller-shaped inflorescences with short inflorescence stem, sit sometimes marked colored bracts (bracts). Since the inflorescences, as an exception among the Bromeliaceae, are not terminally but laterally formed, a rosette can develop several inflorescences at intervals. An inflorescence contains many flowers. The three-fold, radially symmetrical flowers are hermaphroditic with double perianth . The three sepals are free. The three free petals are white to pink to reddish. There are two circles with three free stamens each. Three carpels have become an under constant ovary grown. The stylus ends in a three-lobed scar.
There is often confusion with the species of the closely related genera Ochagavia (in Ochagavia the petals are pink.) And Fascicularia (in today's monotypical genus Fascicularia , the petals are blue to purple).
The neotropical distribution area of the genus Greigia extends from Mexico to Chile . Depending on the species, they thrive at altitudes between 0 and 3500 meters. They mainly thrive in damp or swampy forest areas.
There are (30 to) about 36 Greigia species (as of 2014):
Greigia acebeyi B. Will, T.Krömer, M.Kessler, D.Karger & H.Luther : It wasfirst describedin 2009 from the Bolivian department of La Paz . It was found on steep embankments through the damp cloud forest at altitudes of about 2800 meters.
Greigia alborosea (Griseb.) Mez : It thrives terrestrially in the cloud forest at altitudes of 2000 to 2650 meters in Venezuela.
Greigia aristeguietae L.B.Sm. : It thrives terrestrially in deep shade in the forest at altitudes of about 3300 meters only in the state of Trujillo in Venezuela.
Greigia atrobrunnea H.Luther : It only thrives in Pichincha at altitudes of about 3200 meters in Ecuador.
Greigia atrocastanea H.Luther : It was first described in 1999 from La Paz in Bolivia. It thrives terrestrially at altitudes of around 3100 meters.
Greigia columbiana L.B.Sm. var. columbiana : It thrives terrestrially in the cloud forest and paramo at altitudes of 2900 to 3800 meters in Costa Rica and Colombia.
Greigia columbiana var. Subinermis L.B.Sm. : This endemic occurs in northeastern Colombia only in the Departamento de Norte de Santander .
Greigia macbrideana L.B.Sm. : This endemic thrives in damp locations at altitudes of around 3700 meters only on the Tambo de Vaca in the Peruvian region of Huánuco .
Greigia marioae B.Will, T.Krömer, M.Kessler, D.Karger & H.Luther : It was first described in 2009 from La Paz in Bolivia. It thrives terrestrially in the moist mountain forest at altitudes of 2500 to 2700 meters.
Greigia membranacea B. Will, T.Krömer, M.Kessler, D.Karger & H.Luther : It was first described in 2009 from La Paz in Bolivia. It thrives terrestrially at altitudes of 2750 to 3100 meters.
Greigia mulfordii var. Macrantha L.B.Sm. : This endemic thrives in the paramo at altitudes of around 3450 meters only in Bogotá, Colombia .
Greigia mulfordii L.B.Sm. var. mulfordii : It thrives in the mountain forest at altitudes of 3000 to 4050 meters in Colombia and Ecuador.
Greigia nubigena L.B.Sm. : This endemic thrives in the Paramo terrestrial in humid locations in the Paramo cloud forest in Alto de Cruz above Encano at altitudes of about 3300 meters only in the Colombian Department de Nariño .
Greigia oaxacana L.B.Sm. : It thrives terrestrially and lithophytically at altitudes of 2300 to 2580 meters in Mexico.
Greigia ocellata L.B.Sm. & Steyermark : It thrives terrestrially at altitudes of around 2600 meters in Venezuela only in Tachira.
Greigia racinae L.B.Sm. : It thrives in dense stands in Paramo at altitudes of around 3300 meters only in the Colombian departments of Nariño and Cauca .
Greigia raporum H.Luther : It was first described in 1999 and thrives terrestrially at altitudes of about 3320 meters in Peru only in Junin, Cusco.
Greigia rohwederi L.B.Sm. : This endemic, first collected by Rohweder in 1951, thrives terrestrially and epiphytically in the cloud forest at altitudes of around 2200 meters just north of Metapan in Santa Ana in El Salvador .
Greigia sodiroana Mez : It thrives terrestrially at altitudes of 2700 to 3600 meters in Ecuador.
Greigia sphacelata (Ruiz & Pavón) rule : It thrives lithophytically on the coastal strip and terrestrially in open forests at altitudes of 0 to 50 meters in Chile.
Greigia stenolepis L.B.Sm. : This endemic thrives at altitudes of 900 to 1100 meters only in the Bogota massif in Cundinamarca, Colombia.
Greigia tillettii L.B.Smith & RWRead : This endemic thrives in stocks terrestrially at altitudes of 2700 to 3300 meters only in the state of Zulia in Venezuela.
Greigia van-hyningii L.B.Sm. : It thrives terrestrially or lithophytically at altitudes of 2100 to 2800 meters in Mexico.
Greigia vulcanica André : It thrives in the Paramo cloud forest at altitudes of 3200 to 3400 meters in Colombia and Ecuador.
use
Due to their size, Greigia species are rarely found in private collections. Botanical gardens often cultivate several species. They need high humidity and do not tolerate frost. They can easily be propagated vegetatively via Kindel . Seeds are seldom obtained because they are not self-fertile .
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