Portea

The Portea are a genus of the subfamily Bromelioideae in the family of bromeliads (Bromeliaceae). The derivation of the generic name is not protected.

Dissemination

The home of the genus is restricted to Brazil. Because of their size, these species rarely found in private collections in areas in which they occur by frosts can not be maintained in the open air.

But in some tropical parks and gardens, and in almost all botanical gardens you will find this relatively modest but decorative plants, most frequently Portea Petropolitana.

Description

The Portea species are funnel-or Zisternenbromelien. They are small to large species with up to 1 m diameter crater and inflorescences that are about 1.7 m long. Copies of the same species grow as epiphytes or terrestrial.

The tough leaves are always armed at the edge (like all representatives of the Bromelioideae), with a barbed tip, Saugschuppen are mainly seen on the leaf. In the leaf-hoppers often accumulate large amounts of water. In many craters there are small areas containing more species, algae and aquatic plants.

In upright to arching, most handsome, long-lasting, richly branched, vituperate inflorescences (inflorescences) the many flowers are arranged cylindrically dense to loose. At the inflorescences are sitting in some species strikingly colored bracts (bracts), they are bluish-red, there are whitish.

The flowers are usually long (stalks 1-4 cm). The somewhat further, threefold flowers are blue or blue-purple, yellowish or whitish. When the flowers of blue birds species are the pollinators. The flowers are laterally compressed. The three sepals are fused into a short tube.

The three petals are free above the ovary. The petals have scales at their base (ligule). There are two circle each with three stamens present. The inner stamens are adherent to the petals. The ovaries are inferior.

Floral formula: \ star \, K_ ((3)) \, C_3 \, A_ (3) +3 \, G_ (\ overline ((3)))

The fruits are juice-berries, when ripe, they are often highly colored, and here is dominated by red to blue. The fruits are eaten by animals (especially birds, rare monkeys and of bats). The seeds are excreted undigested and reach the mire of branches.



Source: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portea

See Also: International Flower Delivery, Florist