Ananas ananassoides (Baker) L.B.Sm.

  • Family

    Bromeliaceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Ananas ananassoides (Baker) L.B.Sm.

  • Primary Citation

    Bot. Mus. Leafl. 7: 70. 1939

  • Basionym

    Acanthostachys ananassoides Baker

  • Description

    Author : Juan Francisco Morales, Xavier Cornejo & Reinaldo Aguilar.

    Description: Terrestrial herbs 1-1.5 m tall, forming funnelform rosettes, growing in clumps. Blades strap-like, 150-175 x ca. 3-6 cm, the margins spinose, the apex long attenuate. Scapes erect, ca. 50-70 cm long, stout, the apex weak and fragile; scape bracts large, subfoliaceous. Inflorescences ovate (in Osa) to subcylindric, 5-10(-15) cm long, the apical coma small, accrescent and greatly enlarged after anthesis; floral bracts broadly elliptic, 1.5-2 cm long, exceeding sepals, the margins serrulate, the apex acuminate, sharply pointed. Flowers sessile; sepals broadly elliptic, ca. 7 mm long, the apex obtuse; petals 13-17 mm long, purple; stamens included. Syncarp 5-10(-15) cm long, green to reddish-green without, readily breaking from scape just below fruit, and not very tasty at maturity.

    Common names: This species in Brazil is known as Ananas de ramosa (Smith & Downs, 1979).

    Distribution: Colombia to Argentina and Paraguay from sea level to ca. 1500(-2200) m (Smith & Downs, 1979; Manzanares, 2002; Tropicos). Cultivated in Costa Rica.

    Ecology: Moist forests.

    Phenology: This species has been observed with flowers in Nov and fruits in Aug.

    Pollination: No observations recorded.

    Dispersal: No observations recorded.

    Taxonomic notes: Ananas ananassoides is recognized by the many flowered inflorescence; syncarp 5-10(-15) cm long; and the weak apex of scape (Smith & Downs, 1979). Individual plants of this species are much larger than those of the pineapple Ananas comosus (L.) Merr. but the fruits are much smaller and not as tasty (Morales, 2003).

    Conservation: Not recorded.

    Uses: Cultivated as an ornamental.

    Etymology: The epithet refers to the pineapple like appearance of the fruits of this species.

  • Floras and Monographs

    Ananas ananassoides (Baker) L.B.Sm.: [Article] Smith, Lyman B. & Downs, Robert J. 1979. Bromelioideae (Bromeliaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 14 (3): 1493-2142.

    Ananas ananassoides (Baker) L.B.Sm.: [Article] Smith, Lyman B. 1957. The Bromeliaceae of Colombia. Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 33: i-v, 1-311.

    Ananas ananassoides (Baker) L.B.Sm.: [Article] Smith, Lyman B. 1967. Bromeliaceae of the Guayana Highland. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 14: 15-68.