Puya aristeguietae L.B.Sm.

  • 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 aristeguietae L.B.Sm.

  • Type

    TYPE. Aristeguieta 3539 (holotype, US; isotype, VEN), Páramo de Guirigay, Trujillo, Venezuela, Aug 1958.

  • Description

    Description - Flowering about 3 m high. Leaves many in a dense rosette, ca. 1 m long, the outer spreading, the inner erect; blades over 2 cm wide, glabrous above, covered with small pale appressed scales beneath and with coarse spreading scales along the margin, laxly serrate with dark curved antrorse spines 6 mm long. Scape erect, straight; scape-bracts densely imbricate but quickly deciduous, broadly ovate with a foliaceous blade. Inflorescence bipinnate, cylindric but not strobilate, over 1 m long, finely brown-stellate; primary bracts broadly ovate, exceeding the branches, divergent to spreading at anthesis, membranaceous, entire, dark brown at least when dry; branches suberect, laxly few-flowered. Floral bracts elliptic, exceeding the pedicels, membranaceous, dark brown; flowers spreading and decurved at anthesis; pedicels slender, 15 mm long. Sepals linear, rounded and apiculate, 25-27 mm long; petals showy, 5 cm long, white, exceeding the stamens, contorted after anthesis; ovary superior; ovules alate.

  • Common Names

    Pinuela de páramo

  • Distribution

    Páramo, 2700-3200 m alt, Trujillo and Merida, Venezuela.

    Venezuela South America| Mérida Venezuela South America|