Puya boliviensis Baker

Place of Publication

Handb. Bromel.: 126 (1889)

Type citation

Chile, Region II: Antofagasta, Cobija, Jul 1836, C. Gaudichaud s.n. (holotype: P; isotypes: B, F, US).

Synonyms

Puya copiapina Phil.

References

Philippi R.A. (1895b)

Philippi, R.A. 1895b. Plantas nuevas Chilenas de las familais que corresponden al tomo V de la obra de Gay. Anales de la Universidad de Chile 91: 5-47, 105-160, 243-275, 415-432, 487-526, 607-635
Zizka et al. (2013)

Zizka, G. , Schneider, J.V. , Schulte, K. and Novoa, P. 2013. Taxonomic revision of the Chilean Puya species (Puyoideae, Bromeliaceae), with special notes on the Puya alpestris-Puya berteroniana species complex. Brittonia 65 (4), 387-407.
Zizka et al. (2009)

Zizka , G. , Schmidt, M. , Schulte, K. , Nova, P. , Pinto, R. and König, K. 2009. Chilean Bromeliaceae: diversity, distribution and evaluation of conservation status. Biodiversity and Conservation 18: 2449-2471
Baker (1889)

Baker, J.G. 1889. Handbook of the Bromeliaceae. G. Bell & Sons, London

Iconography

Grau & Zizka (1992): Fig. 96

Regions

Antofagasta and Atacama

Habitat

Desert and Desert fog oases (Lomas)

Distribution and habitat

Restricted to northern Chile in Region Antofagasta (22°30’–26°S), with an upper altitude of 670 m. It occurs on rocky outcrops in hyper-arid areas of the coastal cordillera (Zizka et al., 2013).

Distribution

Puya boliviensis Baker
- Puya boliviensis Baker
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Conservation status

Endangered (Zizka et al. (2009))

Descriptions

Zizka et al. (2013)

Habit

Perennial with a dense rosette, flowering stems 1–2 m tall. Flowers from November to February.

Key characteristics

The distribution of P. boliviensis does not overlap with any other Chilean Puya species therefore identification is straightforward. Morphologically it resembles P. chilensis and P. gilmartiniae. From the former it differs by having a shorter inﬂorescence with c. 20 lateral branches (P. chilensis has 80 or more) and from the latter, by the larger ﬂowers (4.5–6 cm long compared to about 3 cm in P. gilmartiniae). The leaf blades are glabrous above (Zizka et al., 2013).

Notes

Seed of this species is banked by the national seed bank of Chile, INIA.