Puya tristis L.B.Sm.
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Authority
Smith, Lyman B. & Downs, Robert J. 1974. Pitcairnioideae (Bromeliaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 14 (1): 1-658. (Published by NYBG Press)
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Family
Bromeliaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
TYPE. Cárdenas 6067 (holotype, US), rocky slope, km 89 between Cochabamba and Chapare, 3900 m alt, Cochabamba, Bolivia. Dec 1962.
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Description
Description - Plant flowering 6 dm high. Leaves numerous in a spreading rosette, ca. 3 dm long; sheaths broadly ovate, 3-4 cm long, glabrous toward base; blades 15 mm wide, covered beneath with subappressed white scales, glabrous above, laxly serrate with dark uncinate spines 4 mm long. Scape erect, exceeding the leaves, coarsely brown-tomentose; scape-bracts subfoliaceous, strict, many-ranked and densely imbricate, wholly covering the scape, brown-tomentose toward base. Inflorescence (young) densely ovoid, broadly rounded, 10 cm long, 8 cm in diameter, later cylindric, 50-60 cm long, obscurely bipinnate, densely and coarsely brown-tomentose except the petals and genitalia; primary bracts attenuate from a suborbicular base, to 7 cm long, membranaceous, finely nerved, entire, the apical half reflexed at anthesis; branches nearly aborted, 2-flowered. Floral bracts like the primary bracts but short-attenuate and only 35 mm long; pedicels short but slender and distinct. Sepals oblong-elliptic, rounded and apiculate, 18 mm long, thin; petals over 3 cm long, blue.
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Distribution
Known from the type collection only.
Bolivia South America| Cochabamba Bolivia South America|