Ananas comosus var. bracteatus (Lindl.) Coppens & F.Leal

Taxonomy: Plantae > Tracheophyta > Liliopsida > Poales > Bromeliaceae > Ananas > A.comosus

Description: The pineapple is a herbaceous perennial, which grows to 1 to 2 tall. The plant has a short, stocky stem with tough, waxy leaves. It has 30 or more long, narrow, fleshy, trough-shaped leaves with sharp spines along the margins that are 30 cm long, surrounding a thick stem. The stem grows into a spike-like inflorescence up to 15 cm long with over 100 spirally arranged, trimerous flowers, each subtended by a bract. Flower color varies, depending on variety, from lavender, through light purple to red. The ovaries develop into berries, which coalesce into a large, compact, multiple accessory fruit. The fruit of a pineapple is arranged in two interlocking helices, eight in one direction and thirteen in the other. Each of the eyes on the surface is the dried base of a small flower.

Flowering and Fruiting: March-July

Uses: Environmental: boundary/barrier/support (as a living hedge) ornamental. Also used as beverage base.

Cultivation: Cultivated.

References

http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org

https://indiabiodiversity.org