Puya chilensis Molina

  • Authority

    Smith, Lyman B. & Downs, Robert J. 1974. Pitcairnioideae (Bromeliaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 14 (1): 1-658. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Bromeliaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Puya chilensis Molina

  • Type

    TYPE. Molina s n (n v), Chile

  • Synonyms

    Pourretia coarctata Ruiz & Pav., Pitcairnia coarctata (Ruiz & Pav.) Pers., Pitcairnia chilensis Lodd. & Loudon, Puya coarctata (Ruiz & Pav.) Fisch., Puya gigantea Phil., Puya chilensis Molina

  • Description

    Description - Caudex prostrate, simple or branched, to 5 m long, 15-20 cm in diameter, woody, covered with the bases of old leaves; flowering shoot to 4.5 m high. Leaves numerous in a dense rosette, erect or stiffly spreading, slightly or not arching 1 m long; sheaths ample; blades 5 cm wide, soon glabrous on both sides, strongly concave above, marginal spines stout, coriaceous, the lowest often over 10 mm long. Scape erect, very stout, soon glabrous; scape-bracts numerous, reflexed, the lower foliaceous, the upper broadly ovate and acute. Inflorescence amply paniculate, bipinnate with 80-100 branches, 1 m or longer, so dense that only the apices of the numerous branches stand out clearly, oblong-ovate in outline, sparsely tomentose when young but soon completely glabrous; primary bracts triangular-ovate, much shorter than the axillary racemes, submembranaceous, sparsely and finely serrate or entire, gray-brown; racemes subsessile, to 3 dm long, densely flowering on the lower half, sterile on the upper half with numerous reduced bracts. Floral bracts narrowly elliptic, acute or acuminate, to 5 cm long, exceeding the sepals or not, membranaceous, green; flowers suberect at anthesis; pedicels slender, ca 15 mm long. Sepals elliptic-oblong, to 35 mm long, 13 mm wide, broadly acute or obtuse, green; petals narrowly elliptic, ca 5 cm long, varying from sulfur-yellow to greenish yellow, naked; capsule ellipsoid, much shorter than the sepals.

  • Discussion

    ECONOMIC USES. The leaves provide a very strong rot-resistant fiber.

  • Common Names

    Chagual, puya, cardón, cardón negro

  • Distribution

    Dry stony ground near coast, central Chile.

    Chile South America| Coquimbo Chile South America| Aconcagua Chile South America| Valparaíso Chile South America| Concepcion Chile South America|