Puya hirtzii Manzanares & W.Till
Literature references:
Comments:
- The habitat of P. hirtzii is the dry and arid valleys that descend from Ibarra to the flatlands of the Coast, in the province of Esmeraldas. Tillandsia secunda, and, in shrub areas, Racinaea fraseri, share its habitat. P. hirtzii forms dense colonies united by thick branched trunks. When in flower, many variations can be seen in the inflorescences. Cinereous lanate indument gives the inflorescence a silvery glow in bright sunlight and the indument permits the reduction of transpiration by reflecting the light rays. The ovary of the flowers is triquetrous, with three rounded protuberances, containing three seed locules that house the ovules. It is recognized with little difficulty by means of this characteristic. —See Manzanares 2005
