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Guzmania monostachia

(L.) Rusby ex Mez (1896)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Monocots Order: Poales Family: Bromeliaceae Genus: Guzmania

west indian tufted air plant

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Plants flowering to 4 dm high.

Stems:

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Rosulate, spreading. Blades ovate, ligulate, acute, 30–40 cm. Apex acute. Surfaces glabrous. Margins entire. Sheaths pale or darkened toward base. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in inflorescences: scape central, erect, shorter than leaves; bracts imbricate, erect; inflorescences densely many–flowered, erect, simple, cylindric, to 15 cm; floral bracts imbricate, most proximal bracts (fertile) pale green, striped dark green or reddish, distal bracts (mostly sterile) rose, salmon or nearly white [red or orange in tropical america], ovate, to 2.5 cm, acute. Flowers bisexual (perfect). Sepals basally connate, green, symmetric, 1.4–1.6 cm. Petals very slightly spreading, adherent for most of length, white, without petal appendages, 2.2–2.5 cm, apex obtuse. Stamens 6, in 2 series of 3; stamens included; filaments subadnate to petals. Ovary superior; stigma included, simple–erect.

Fruit: Fruit 2–3 cm. Seeds with basal; usually tan-brown plumose appendage.

Ploidy:

Habitat:

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

  • Yes

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

O'ahu Naturalized
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Potentially naturalizing

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Specimens

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Bibliography

Name Published In: A.L.P.P.de Candolle & A.C.P.de Candolle, Monogr. Phan. 9: 905 (1896)

Other References

Staples & Herbst 2005:638 (KEY); Frohlich & Lau 2010:7 (NEWNAT/O, DESCR); Starr & Starr 2013a:34 (EM); Oppenheimer 2019:5 (WM)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Guzmania monostachia Maui Enchanting Floral Gardens of Kula. Spreading here and there in the garden. Botanical garden with wide variety of plants. Preserved_Specimen Epiphytic on other plants. Sparingly Naturalized. Starr, F. 12030102 Maui BISH 2012-03-01
2 Guzmania monostachia Wailuku District, Iao Valley, SW of Iao Needle above Kinihapai Stream. A few plants observed on small cliff in Metrosideros/Diospyros Lowland Forest along a steep ledge. Preserved_Specimen Leaves green. Oppenheimer, H.L. 91301 Maui BISH 2013-09-10
3 Guzmania monostachia Moanalua Valley Epihytic on dead Metrosideros or Schinus in shady flood plain. Preserved_Specimen Arthur, K. 17 Oahu BISH 2025-01-03
4 Guzmania monostachia Hilo and Puna Districts. Blanketing main trunks of trees and palms along the Honolii stream, Keaau Shipman park, and many other locations in that area. Preserved_Specimen 100's of individuals were observed, many of them actively fruiting. Epiphytic Herb, Green, flexible, non-scaly, strap-shaped leaves. Single floral spike, upper floral bracts red to orange. Cylindrical seed capsules. Naturalized Murphy, M. 226 Hawaii BISH 2022-08-14
5 Guzmania monostachia Nuuanu Valley on Kaohinani street Preserved_Specimen .5 m diameter epiphyte. Scape bracts light orange when flowering, turning green with purple striations to brownish with age. Flowers white, corolla tubular, tubes not spreading at anthesis. OED 2008101403 Oahu BISH 2008-10-14
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