Puya chilensis
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Habit and inflorescence of Puya chilensis . |
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The Puya chilensis is a species of the bromeliad family (Bromeliaceae). The specific epithet chilensis means "at home in Chile".
Occurrence
The home of Puya chilensis in central Chile are regions IV to VII. It usually thrives in the sun, always with little shade on northern slopes or flat areas in relatively dry areas of the coastal mountains, at altitudes between 500 and 2000 meters or on the coast , at altitudes between 0 and 500 meters. Depending on the location, the dry season lasts 3 to 10 months, mainly or exclusively winter rain and annual rainfall of 100 to 800 mm.
description
Puya chilensis grows as an evergreen, xerophytic , perennial plant that reaches heights of growth of several meters. A leaf rosette is formed on a trunk that is rarely simple or usually branched like a candelabra. The tough, stiffly protruding, parallel- veined leaves run into a sharp point, have a length of 0.8 to 1 meter and a width of about 5 centimeters. The leaf margin is reinforced with sturdy, hooked, about 1 cm long spines. The underside of the leaf is scaly.
Only after many years, an upright, relaxed, is rispiger total inflorescence formed, consisting of multiple traubig - ährigen composed part inflorescences. It contains many bracts and many individual flowers. The upper halves of the partial inflorescences are sterile. A flower stalk up to 1.5 cm long may be present or absent. The hermaphrodite flower is threefold. 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 turn in a spiral when they fade. The six free stamens have bright orange anthers . The flowers produce a lot of nectar. During the flowering period, one can observe hummingbirds and other birds pollinating the flowers ( ornithophilia ).
There are fruit capsules formed in each of many small, flight viable seeds are formed. After the seed and child development , the mother plant slowly dies.
use
Puya chilensis is one of the few Puya species that are kept in some parks and gardens.
The leaves can be eaten. The young stems are eaten as a salad. Nets are made from the fibers of the leaves.
Systematics
Puya chilensis was first described by Juan Ignacio Molina in 1782 in Saggio sulla Storia Naturale del Chili 160, 351. Synonyms are Pourretia coarctata Ruiz & Pavon, 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.
literature
- Werner Rauh : Bromeliads - Tillandsias and other culturally worthy bromeliads , Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 1990, ISBN 3-8001-6371-3
- Lyman B. Smith & Robert Jack Downs: Pitcairnioideae (Bromeliaceae) in Flora Neotropica No. 14, 1: Hafner Press, New York, 1974, pp. 181-183.
