Puya+Raimondii

=Puya Raimondii=

Machu Picchu
Puya Raimondii is the largest of all bromelids. A bromelid is a plant native to tropical and sub-tropical America, typically having short stems with rosettes of stiff, usually spiny, leaves. Some are epiphytic and many are cultivated as houseplants. An epiphyte is a plant that grows on another plant, but it not parasitic, such as numerous bromelids, including Puya Raimondii, air plants, and orchids growing on tree trunks in tropical rain forests. There are over 3000 species of bromelids, but this is the KING of them all. Considered the “Queen of the Andes,” Puya Raimondii can reach over 30 feet tall. It is the world’s largest bromelid and has the largest flower cluster of any plant on Earth! It is considered an endangered species.

Puya Raimondii is a terrestrial bromelid from the mountains of Peru and Bolivia. This pineapple relative grows to 8-9 feet across. The plant has been known to flower at 25 years in protective environments, and on average at 28 years in the wild, but can take 80-150 years to flower, if ever! The flower stalk can be over 25 feet long with thousands of flowers, numbering over 8000. The blossoms can be 2 inches wide each with bright orange anthers. The plant dies after flowering. Unlike most bromelids, it does not reproduce with pups, only with seeds, part of the reason it is endangered. It is found in the cool highlands at approximately 13,000 feet. It is still located in 3 main places; Ancash, the punas of Cajamarquilla, and the gully of Qishqi. It has adapted to its harsh environment in many ways, but perhaps the most interesting is that it produces a chemical in its sap that is similar to anti-freeze to protect it from huge temperature variations between night and day. It is monocarpic, meaning it dies after it flowers for the first time. In the rare event that it does flower, huge groups of hummingbirds flock to the nectar feast. Mature plants produce 8-12 milliion seeds, but conditions need to be perfect for germination, leading to the endangered classification of this Queen of the Andes.

Action is urgently needed to preserve this species. Around 2 dozen specimens are located in botanical gardens but more needs to be done. It is officially classified as endangered in Peru, but little is done outside of one national park. Perhaps shedding light on this issue and drawing tourists to the locations where these giants are, will help to protect them for many years to come.

By: Laura Reed