Reference for Picture: http://www.charlies-web.com/whatisit/texxt163.html

Systematics

Description

Distribution & Habitat

Culture

Propagation

Uses

References

 

Scientific Name

Aechmea comata

 

 

Common Name

Tufted Bromeliad

 Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae

Subkingdom: Tracheophyta

Division: Magnoliophyta

Class: Liliopsida

Subclass: Zingiberidae

Order: Bromeliales

Family: Bromeliaceae

Subfamily: Bromelioideae

Genus: Aechmea

Species: comata

Cultivar: lindenii

Reference for Systematics: http://www.seflin.org/bssf/frame.htm

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Description

These plants are found in tropical America. They can be raised in a greenhouse or in the home. They bloom mostly in the summer and fall and they need a minimum winter temperature of 55 degrees when grown under glass. The tufted bromeliads are epiphytic meaning that they grow supported on other plants but without harming their hosts by abstracting nutrients from them. They are known as tank plants because their overlapping leaves form funnels in which water, plant debris, and dead insects are trapped. They are composed of a spiral arrangement of leaves sometimes called a rosette. The bases of the rosette overlap to form a water reservoir. They have tiny scales on their leaves called tricomes. The flower stalk is produced from the center of the rosette. They can grow up to 12 inches long.

Reference for Descriptive Information: www.botany.com ; http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/ksheets/pineapple.html ; http://bsi.org/

Reference for Picture: http://www.caire.bio.br/Species.htm

Distribution and Habitat

The Tufted Bromeliad is a member of the Neotropical Family that is found in the New World Tropics of South America, mostly in Brazil.

Reference for Picture: http://www.fcbs.org/articles/Ortgiesia.htm

 Cultural Information

Soil · The planting medium should have a fine texture. Using one-half peat moss and one-half vermiculite will suffice.

Water requirement They should be water thoroughly as needed. Frequent flushings are required which are done by pouring fresh water over plant, inverting and filling again. This prevents stagnation and mineral buildup. If possible rain water should be used to water the plants, since bromeliads prefer water to be slightly acidic (approximate pH=6.0). They need plenty of water during the summer but should be watered less frequently in the winter.

Light ·Moderate to bright light is required. Plants should be exposed to 10 to 16 hours of light daily.
Humidity ·50% relative humidity will suffice
Temperature · Plants should be kept in fairly warm conditions. They require a minimum winter temperature of 55 degrees F.

Reference for Cultural Information: http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/ksheets/pineapple.html; http://bsi.org/

 

Reference for Picture: http://www.caire.bio.br/acomata1.htm

 

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Propagation Methods

Soft stem cutting and division typically work best. Stem cutting are simply a cutting taken from a portion of stem.Division is a method of propagation by which a plant clump is lifted and divided into separate pieces, which include roots and a growing point, during dormancy. The pieces are immediately replanted. Also suckers that grow up from the base of the plants can be detached with a sharp knife in March and inserted in small pots of sandy peat in a propagating case. When they've formed roots, they can be repotted in larger pots.

 

References for Propagation Methods: www.botany.com

Reference for Picture: http://www.charlies-web.com/alphalist/tex452.html

Uses/ Fun Facts

Bromeliads entered recorded history some 500 years ago when Columbus introduced the pineapple (Ananas comosus) to Spain upon return from his second voyage to the New World in 1493. Although the pineapple is the only member of the family cultivated for food, several species are cultivated as a source of fiber.

References for Uses and Fun Facts: http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/ksheets/pineapple.html ; http://bsi.org/

Reference for Picture: http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/ksheets/pineapple.html

 General References:

Bromeliad Society International; Bromeliad InfoCenter; The Encyclopedia of Plants

 

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Image References:

URL specified near each image.

Picture Reference: http://www.caire.bio.br/Species.htm

This page was developed by:

Barbara Wilkinson, W&J Class of 2002

 

Last revised on 1 May 2001