Greigia sphacelata (Ruiz & Pavon) Regel
Literature references:
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Comments:
- Local name. Chupeu (Concepcion).
The edible fruit is sold in the market in Puerto Montt, Llanquihue, and tastes like apple. —See Smith & Downs 1979
- References
Greigia sphacelata (Ruiz & Pav.) Regel, Gartenfl. 14: 137, pl. 474 (1865); Regel, Suppl. Ind. Sem. Horti. Petropol. 1864: 13 (1865?), see note below; Regel, Gartenfl. 16: 370 (1867); Carriere, Rev. Hortic. 52: 256 (1880); Philippi, Cat. Chili: 278 (1881); Wittmack in Engl. & Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam. 2, 4: 45 (1887); Baker, Handb. Bromel.: 12 (1889); Mez in A. & C. DC., Monogr. phan. 9: 44-45 (1896); Skottsberg, Bot. Erg. Exped. Patag. 5: 186 (1916); Harms in Engl. & Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam. ed. 2, 15a: 136 (1930); Mez in Engl., Pflanzenr. 4, 32: 12 (1934); Skottsberg, Acta Horti Gothob. 11: 211-221 (1936); Munoz, Fl. silvestres Chile: 163 (1966); Smith, Phytologia 16, 2: 70 (1968); Smith & Downs, Fl. Neotrop. 14, 3: 1632 (1979); Marticorena & Quezada, Gayana, Bot. 42: 81 (1985); Rauh, J. Bromeliad Soc. 35, 5: 212 (1985); Hoffmann & Flores in Benoit, Red Book Chilean Terrestrial Flora 1: 119-120 (1989). Bromelia sphacelata Ruiz & Pav., Fl. Peruv. 3: 32 (1802); Molina, Sag. stor. nat. Chili ed. 2: 284 (18I0); Gay, Fl. Chil. 6; 8-9 (1853). Billbergia sphacelata (Ruiz & Pav.) Schult. & Schult. f. in Roem. & Schult., Syst. 7, 2: 1269 (1830); Hooker, Bot. Mag.: pl. 5647 (1867).
Vernacular name: Whole plant: Chupon, Chupeu, Quiscal, Kai (indian name). Fruit: Niyu, Chupones. Flower: Rayen niyu (Mutiaz, 1966).
Uses: Fruits are reported to be heavily collected by locals and sold in the markets. The pulp is said to be sweet, juicy and to taste like apple or pineapple.
Icones: Regel 1865: pl. 474; Hooker 1867: pl. 5647; Regel 1867: 371; Reiche 1907: 235, fig. 46; Skottsberg 1916: fig. 9 (photo); Mez 1934: 12, fig. 5; Skottsberg 1936: 212, fig. 7; 214, figs. 16-18; 217, figs. I9-23; 219, figs. 24, 25; Munoz 1966: pl. 31; Smith & Downs 1979: 1634; Rauh 1985: 211, fig. 10 (photo); Zizka 1992: 10 1, fig. 99 (photo).
Greigia sphacelata is the most common Greigia in Chile and by far the best collected. It can easily be distinguished from the other Chilean species by its coarse spines along the entire leaf-blade. G. landbeckii which is similar in that it also forms a large rosette with long, thick, leathery leaves bears much smaller spines, restricted to the upper 2/3 of the blade. Distinct in G. sphacelata are the broadly lanceolate, attenuate outer primary bracts which exceed the flowers. Their upper 1/4-1/3 is coarsely serrate with up to 2.6 mm long spines. nSeeds were introduced to Europe by Philippi around 1855 (Harms, 1930). Grown in Botanical Gardens in Paris (already in 1842), Kew (Baker, 1889), and in Frankfurt (Palmengarten). Nursery notes: needs only "5-6 R" in winter but can also be kept in warm rooms and outdoors all summer {Regel, 1867: 372}.
The isotype at BM only consists of a single leaf. Its label refers the specimen to Peru: "Bromelia sessiliflora Flor. Per. in Peruvia ad Pozuzo" {on back of sheet: "Peru Ruiz & Pavon"). At the beginning of Ruiz and Pavon's expedition, Chile was still part of the vicekingdom of Peru. In the protologue Ruiz and Pavon reported Greigia sphacelata for Chile; it does not occur in Peru.
The description for Bromelia discolor Lindl. was based on cultivated material. No herbarium material appears to exist.
Regel published his description of Greigia sphacelata a second time as "Annotationes Botanieae" to the 1864 Index Seminum of the St. Petersburg Botanical Garden, which itself is a supplement to the Garden Magazine. The Magazine is dated "I864" but the description includes a citation of the Gartenflora article from 1865 and is therefore regarded as published 1865 or later. The second description is in Latin whereas the first one is in German.
Chile, region VIII (near Tome, 36°32'S)-X (Chiloe: Isla San Pedro, 42°42'S) (Fig. 1). According to Skottsberg (1916), Greigia sphacelata occurs as far north as 35°S' (region VII) and as far south as 43°30', but he does not cite specimens or exact localities. Harms' (1930) record for Peru is most likely based on the label of the type specimen at BM (see note below). G. sphacelata is common from Valdivia to Chiloe. Its conservation status is "Vulnerable" (Hoffmann and Flares, 1989). —See Harvard Pap. Bot.
