Puya clava-herculis

Puya clava-herculis is a species in the genus Puya. This species is native to Ecuador.

References

• Catalogue of Vascular Plants of Ecuador Retrieved 12 October 2009

Puya clava-herculis Hercules' Club Puya

A stunning plant from the bromeliad (pineapple) family, that forms a large, dense rosette of many strap-like, thorny, bluish green leaves to about 1.2 m (3.9 ft) tall, quite similar to a Dasylirion. Its common name derives from its giant inflorescence, a club-like structure that can reach more than 6 m (20 ft) tall. In its native range in Ecuador and southern Colombia, it grows at very high altitudes between 3,700 and 4,100 m (12,100 and 13,500 ft), mostly above the tree line, together with curious, palm-like plants called fralejónes (Espeletia sp., Asteraceae), in a grassland called páramo that is characterized by temperatures near or below freezing at night through most of the year. In cultivation it requires a cool climate without extremes of frost or heat. REFERENCE: http://www.rarepalmseeds.com/pix/PuyCla.shtml