Hohenbergia stellata Schult.f.

Plant flowering to 1.2 m tall. Leaves ligulate, many, in a funnel-form rosette 70-110 cm long, 7.5 cm wide; sheaths large, dark brown; margins with spines 3.5 mm long. Scape erect with ovate bracts red or yellow. Inflorescence tripinnate, woolly, red; spikes globose to cylindrical 3-7 cm long; floral bracts 2-3 cm long, red or purple; sepals 15-18 mm long, hairless; petals 2 cm long, purple; stamens included.

Northern parts of South America.

Often found in botanic garden collections but difficult to grow without winter heat.

 

H. augusta (Vell.) E. Morren from south-eastern Brazil grows to 1.2 m high. Leaves many in broad rosette, 60-120 cm long, 10 cm wide; sheaths large with small brown scales; blade broadly pointed, hairless above, with 2 mm long marginal spines. Scape erect, stout, with bracts somewhat deciduous. Inflorescence broadly pyramidal, laxly 3-4 pinnate, 35-60 cm long, dark brown woolly; spikes globose, 12-20 mm long; flowers to 11 mm long, fragrant; sepals 4.5 mm long; petals 7 mm long, blue; stamens protruding.

H. corriea-araujei Pereira & Moutinho from eastern Brazil grows to 1.7 m tall. Leaves ligulate, to 1.5 m long, 6-8 cm wide, forming a tubular water reservoir; sheaths 20-30 cm long, brown scaled spines near top 4 mm long; blades linear, dark green marked with white irregular cross-bands on both sides, with 2 mm long marginal spines. Scape erect with narrowly triangular bracts 10-12 cm long. Inflorescence 42 cm long, tripinnate, laxly pyramidal, white woolly except petals; primary bracts 3-8 cm long; spikes elliptic to 3 cm long; floral bracts green, sepals green, petals yellow, stamens included. The most common species in cultivation.

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.

Hero image
kingdom Plantae
phylum   Tracheophyta
class    Magnoliopsida
superorder     Lilianae
order      Poales
family       Bromeliaceae
genus        Hohenbergia Schult.f.