Pitcairnia corallina

Description

Quiche (Pitcairnia corallina) is a species in the family Bromeliaceae. Epiphytic, non - parasitic, tillering, short-stemmed plant that grows on the branches of old trees to which they adhere by means of hooks; leaves in rosettes, equitant, rigid, ensiform, spiny edge, obtuse apex ending in a thorn, fibrous, recurved at maturity, light-green in color with dark spots towards the apex on the upper side, glaucous green below, with transverse stripes deeper green, 40-50 cm 1 x 7 cm wide; these leaves absorb the rainwater that is deposited on them, through the meristematic tissue at their base. Spike inflorescence, with large bractspurple that persist at the base of 30 cm in length. Fruit, globose, apiculate berry, resembling a small top, yellow-orange in color and coral red apex when ripe, with numerous and very small seeds surrounded by a sweet aril, 1.5 cm long x 7 mm thick. It is distributed throughout Colombia, Peru and northern Brazil.