June
2002
Did you know that
the plant Puya raimondii holds the word record of the the plant that takes the longest time to
flower?
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Puya raimondii
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- Puya raimondii
Puya raimondii is the largest known
bromeliad, forming a rosette of long, tough, waxy leaves, around 3 meters high and reaching 10 to 12 meters in
flower.
This rare plant holds a record. It is the plant that takes the longest time to
flower. Legend has it that the plant takes 150 years to flower, whereupon it dies without forming
offsets. More recent estimates reduce the time for maturity to between 80 and 100
years.
Puya raimondii also holds the record for the largest known
inflorescence (clustering flowers on a floral axis). The cluster of
more than 8000 individual flowers can attain a diameter of 2.4m (8ft)
and grow to a height of 10.7m (35ft). This spiky
inflorescence remains in flower for
about 3 months, during which time it is pollinated by hummingbirds.
After flowering once, the plant dies.
Puya raimondii grows in the Andes of Peru and Bolivia at around 4,000
meters, and is said to be threatened with extinction. If you are planing to
visit Andes, Puya raimondii is something you must see. The flower
usually takes place in the month of May. If you are
lucky enough to witness this event, it's an unbelievable sight set
against a spectacular snowy mountain back-drop
Obviously, with flowering only once at the end of a
century, most of the plants you will see will not be flowering. When
they do flower, they tend to do so in groups and this occurs about
every 3 or 4 years; it is not known why this happens, nor is it clear
when the best time for flowering is. Some guides claim the end of the
wet season (May) is best. Others say the beginning of the wet season (October
and November) is the time to go. You should make local inquiries if
you hope to see the Puya Raimondi in flower, though even when not
flowering, it is a fascinating sight. The spiky rosette offers
protection to a variety of birds and you may find nests within the
leaves of one plant.
Puya
raimondii belongs to the bromeliads, or the
pineapple family, of which it is the largest member. The giants bromeliad is also considered to be one
of the most ancient plant species in the world and has been called a
living fossil.
"The travelling botanist who has the thrill to
surprise these strange and admirable plants while they are in flower
can do nothing but stop and contemplate ecstatically for some time
such a beautiful spectacle". So wrote the great 19th century
scientist and explorer Antonio Raimondii upon discovering the
bromeliad which now bears his name.
Source:
http://www.andeantravelweb.com/peru/destinations/huaraz/
http://anwyl.com/puya_photos.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/plants/fun/record_breakers.shtml
http://huaraz.hypermart.net/puya.htm
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