Puya dasylirioides

Description

Puya dasylirioides is a species in the genus Puya. This species is native to Costa Rica. It is unusual for a Puya, as the leaves have no spines along the leaf margins. The flowers are blue with brown buds and the plants reach maturity at 4 to 5 years. Another feature that sets this species is that it grows in boggy areas at 3000 m that dry up seasonably. Puya dasylirioides comes from 2300 to 3300 meter elevation, where the climate is cool all year. It has taken temperatures in the mid-80s (30 °C), but it's possible that it won't thrive in consistently warmer conditions, especially if nights are warm. It is said to have taken winter lows of 19 °F (-7 °C), and might even handle colder temperatures. It grows well in a deep pot in normal cactus soil that contains no lime. Water it deeply occasionally, and avoid letting the soil dry out completely. Some protection from strong afternoon sun might be needed in warmer climates. Over about 40% humidity is recommended. Puya is a genus of the botanical family Bromeliaceae. It is the sole genus of the subfamily Puyoideae, and is composed of 226 species. These terrestrial plants 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 word meaning "point". The genus is commonly divided into two subgenera, Puya, containing eight species, and Puyopsis containing the remainder. The subgenera can be distinguished by the presence of a sterile inflorescence at the branch apex in Puya, which are fertile in Puyopsis. Some species of Puya in Chile, locally known as chagual, are used to make salads from the base of its young leaves or stem. A common species is Puya chilensis.