Puya (genus)

Puya alpestris
Puya chilensis
Puya hortensis
Puya laxa
Puya medica
Puya mirabilis
Puya raimondii
Puya spathacea
and many more

Puya is a genus of 160-180 species of plants in the bromeliad family Bromeliaceae. They are native to the Andes Mountains of South America and southern Central America. Many of the species are monocarpic , with the parent plant dying after one flower and seed production event.

The species Puya raimondii is notable as the largest species of bromeliad known, reaching 3 m tall in vegetative growth with a flower spike 9-10 m tall. The other species are also large, with the flower spikes mostly reaching 1-4 m tall.

The name 'Puya' was derived from the Mapuche Indian (Chile) word meaning “point".

External links

Puya raimondii photos