Aechmea bromeliifolia

(Rudge) Baker

BromeliaceaeBark/Sap
Aechmea bromeliifolia
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) tatyana_kolesnikova, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by tatyana_kolesnikova
Aechmea bromeliifolia
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) luciomoraes, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Aechmea bromeliifolia
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Joey Santore, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Joey Santore

What to Eat

Edible parts: Sap of spikes

The base of the flower buds is sucked for the sweet sap.

Where to Find It

It is a tropical plant.

Brazil, South America,

Countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Paraguay, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela

How to Identify

A pineapple like plant, but larger. It grows attached to other plants and in the forks of trees. There are 12-20 shoots in a ring and these are 50-100 cm long by 4-11 cm wide. There are teeth along the edge and hook shaped spines. The flower is in the centre of the ring of leaves. It is white. The ripe flowers are removed from the spike and have a sweet layer around the seeds. The seeds are 4-9 mm long and crescent shaped.

How to Grow

It can be grown from seeds. The sticky pulp should be removed by washing in running water. It can be grown in soil or in the forks of trees. It can be grown from seedlings of the clump.

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Aechmea bromeliifolia is a bromeliad native to southern Mexico, Central America, Trinidad, and South America as far south as northern Argentina.

Names & Synonyms

Ananarana, Guaraique

Aechmea conspicuiarmata Bakerand several others
References (2)
  • Kew Plants of the World onLine
  • www.colecionandofrutas.org

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