Guzmania musaica

Description

Guzmania musaica is a plant species in the genus Guzmania. This species is native to Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador (Esmeraldas, Imbabura), Venezuela and Colombia (Antioquia, Choco, Narino, Norte de Santander, Valle del Cauca). Guzmania musaica is a stemless, evergreen, epiphytic perennial plant that can reach a height of 20–40 centimetres (7.9–15.7 in). Leaves are about two feet long, simple, with entire margins, spineless, light green with reddish and dark green transverse striations. In the central rosette of leaves grows a long stem topped by a beautiful inflorescence of pink-red bracts with many waxy tubular yellow flowers arranged in spikes. The plant blooms from June to August. The fruits are septicidal capsules. After it has produced its fruits, the plant dies. Guzmania (tufted airplant) is a genus of over 120 species of flowering plants in the botanical family Bromeliaceae, subfamily Tillandsioideae. They are mainly stemless, evergreen, epiphytic perennials native to Florida, the West Indies, southern Mexico, Central America, and northern and western South America. They are found at altitudes of up to 3,500 m (11,483 ft) in the Andean rainforests. The genus is named after Spanish pharmacist and naturalist, Anastasio Guzman. Several species of this genus are cultivated as indoor and outdoor garden plants. The best known is Guzmania lingulata (scarlet star) which bears orange and red bracts. The plant dies after it has produced its flowers in summer, but new plants can easily be propagated from the offsets which appear as the parent plant dies. They are epiphytes and can do well if tied on to pieces of bark with roots bound into sphagnum moss. Guzmanias require warm temperatures and relatively high humidity. The sac fungus Bipolaris sorokiniana (anamorph of Cochliobolus sativus) and others can cause fatal root rot in plants of this genus if the roots get too wet and cold.