Neoregelia spp - Bromeliad
Posted by The Lorax in June 17, 2009
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A pretty Neoregelia, growing at the Quito Botanical Gardens, Quito, Pichincha. Like most other bromeliads, these are rarely seen by visitors to the forests of Ecuador, as they grow high in the canopy. I am particularly fond of Neoregelia, with its range of attractive colours on the preflowering foliage.
Tags: bromeliaceae, epiphyte
Puya spp - Bromeliad
Posted by The Lorax in June 15, 2009
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Puya, growing at the Quito Botanical Gardens, Quito, Pichincha Province. This genus, which contains about 180 species, contains the bromeliads found in the high-altitude Paramos of the Andean mountain range. Puya are both the largest bromeliads, with leaves up to 3m and blooming spikes up to 10 meters, and the most cold-hardy ones, as they grow in areas that commonly receive snow. Puya are also unique among bromeliads in that some species are semi-carnivorous - the sharp, retropointed spines serve to trap small animals and birds, which then decay and provide both moisture and nutrients to the plants. In Chile, this has led to the plants being nicknamed “Sheep-killers.”
The Puya pictured is common to the Ecuadorean Paramos, and has delicate turquoise flowers.
Tags: bromeliaceae, terrestrial
