Greigia Regel

Named after the Russian General von Greigia (1827–1887).

Stemless terrestrial herbs. Leaves in a dense rosette, to 2 m long, 3 cm wide, dark green, brown scaled below, narrow, sharp spine tipped tip, margins with stout spines. Inflorescence stalkless at the base of the rosette; flowers shortly stalked to 7 cm long; petals flesh coloured, fused to half their length; fruit a fleshy, edible berry.

Greigia species may bloom each year from the same rosette and not die following flowering, as do most other bromeliads.They rarely bloom in cultivation in south-eastern Australia and are easily confused with a non flowering Fascicularia. Only 1 species is generally encountered in cultivation, Greigia sphacelata (Ruiz & Pavon) Regel, from Chile.

28 species from Central America and northern South America.

Source: Christensen, T.; Butcher, D. (2005). Bromeliaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 5. Flowering plants. Monocotyledons. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.

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kingdom Plantae
phylum   Tracheophyta
class    Magnoliopsida
superorder     Lilianae
order      Poales
family       Bromeliaceae
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