Aechmea

Plant Characteristics

Habit		bromeliad
Lifespan:	⌛	perennial
Origin:	✈	Mexico to S America

Cultivation

Exposure:	☼	part-sun
Sunset Zones:		22-27, or indoors

Scientific Names

Bromeliaceae >

Aechmea >

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Aechmea is a genus of the botanical family Bromeliaceae, subfamily Bromelioideae. The name comes from the Greek “aichme” (a spear). Aechmea has 8 subgenera and 255 species distributed from Mexico through South America. Most of the species in this genus are epiphytes.

Read about Aechmea in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Aechmea (from aichme, point; referring to the rigid points on the calyx). Bromeliaceae. Epiphytic herbs, of about sixty species, natives of tropical South America, grown in choice greenhouse collections. Flower-cluster arising from a cluster or rosette of long, hard lvs. which are serrate; petals 3, tongue- shaped, obtuse or pointed, 2-3 times the length of the spine-pointed calyx-lobes; stamens 6, shorter than the petals; ovary inferior, 3-celled. The fls. are subtended by (in the axils of) fl.-bracts; the entire head or fl.- cluster is often reinforced or subtended by conspicuous lf.-bracts; in the compound-infl. types, the individual branches are usually subtended by branch-bracts. In some species, as A. Lalindei and A. Mariae-Reginae, the large colored lf.-bracts are the most conspicuous part of the plant. In others, as A. Veitchii, the entire head is the showy part. Monogr. by Baker, Journ. Bot. 1879:129, 161,226. Includes Canistrum, Echinostachys, Hohenbergia, Hoplophytum, Lamprococcus, Pironneava, Pothuava; and some of the species have been referred to Billbergia, Cryptanthus, Guzmannia, Tillandsia, Chevaliera, and others. The aechmeas are closely allied to the billbergias, from which they are distinguished by smaller flowers, which are little exserted from the calyx and not widely expanding, short filaments and small anthers, sharp-pointed sepals and conspicuous sharp-pointed flower-bracts. Culture same as Billbergia. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

Cultivation

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Grow in shady spot with great air circulation. Soil should retain water, and be watered when dry to touch. Water should be poured into cups of leaves regularly. Can be grown in soil, pots, moss in the crotch of trees.

Propagation

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Pests and diseases

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Species

Aechmea has 8 subgenera and 255 species

Subgenera:

• Aechmea Baker
• Chevaliera (Gaudichaud ex Beer) Baker
• Lamprococcus (Beer) Baker
• Macrochordion (De Vriese) Baker
• Ortgiesia (Regel) Mez
• Platyaechmea (Baker) Baker
• Podaechmea Mez
• Pothuava (Baker) Baker

Species:

Aechmea abbreviata L.B. Smith Aechmea aciculosa Mez & Sodiro Aechmea aculeatosepala (Rauh & Barthlott) Leme Aechmea alba Mez Aechmea alegrensis W. Weber Aechmea allenii L.B. Smith Aechmea alopecurus Mez Aechmea amicorum B.R. Silva & H. Luther Aechmea amorimii Leme Aechmea ampla L.B. Smith Aechmea andersoniana Leme & H. Luther Aechmea andersonii H. Luther & Leme Aechmea angustifolia Poeppig & Endlicher Aechmea anomala L.B. Smith Aechmea apocalyptica Reitz Aechmea aquilega (Salisbury) Grisebach var. aquilega forma alba Oliva-Esteve Aechmea araneosa L.B. Smith Aechmea arenaria (Ule) L.B. Smith & M.A. Spencer Aechmea aripensis (N.E. Brown) Pittendrigh Aechmea atrovittata Leme & J.A. Siqueira Aechmea azurea L.B. Smith Aechmea bahiana L.B. Smith Aechmea bambusoides L.B. Smith & Reitz Aechmea beeriana L.B. Smith & M.A. Spencer Aechmea bicolor L.B. Smith Aechmea biflora (L.B. Smith) L.B. Smith & M.A. Spencer Aechmea blanchetiana (Baker) L.B. Smith Aechmea blumenavii Reitz var. alba Reitz Aechmea bocainensis E. Pereira & Leme Aechmea brachystachya (Harms) L.B. Smith & M.A. Spencer Aechmea bracteata (Swartz) Grisebach var. pacifica Beutelspacher Aechmea brassicoides Baker Aechmea brevicollis L.B. Smith Aechmea bromeliifolia (Rudge) Baker var. albobracteata Philcox var. angustispica Philcox Aechmea brueggeri Leme Aechmea burle-marxii E. Pereira Aechmea caesia E. Morren ex Baker Aechmea callichroma R.W. Read & Baensch Aechmea calyculata (E. Morren) Baker var. variegata T. Strehl Aechmea campanulata L.B. Smith Aechmea canaliculata Leme & H. Luther Aechmea candida E. Morren ex Baker Aechmea capixabae L.B. Smith Aechmea cariocae L.B. Smith Aechmea carvalhoi E. Pereira & Leme Aechmea castanea L.B. Smith Aechmea castelnavii Baker Aechmea catendensis J.A. Siqueira & Leme Aechmea cathcartii C.F. Reed & R.W. Read Aechmea caudata Lindman var. caudata forma albiflora W. Weber & Röth var. variegata M.B. Foster var. eipperi Reitz Aechmea cephaloides J.A. Siqueira & Leme Aechmea chantinii (Carrière) Baker var. chantinii forma amazonica (Ule) H. Luther var. fuchsii H. Luther Aechmea chlorophylla L.B. Smith Aechmea chrysocoma Baker Aechmea coelestis (K. Koch) E. Morren var. albomarginata M.B. Foster var. acutifolia E. Pereira Aechmea colombiana (L.B. Smith) L.B. Smith & M.A. Spencer Aechmea comata (Gaudichaud) Baker var. makoyana (Mez) L.B. Smith Aechmea confusa H. Luther Aechmea conifera L.B. Smith Aechmea contracta (Martius ex Schultes f.) Baker Aechmea correia-araujoi E. Pereira & Moutinho Aechmea corymbosa (Martius ex Schultes f.) Mez Aechmea costantinii (Mez) L.B. Smith Aechmea cucullata H. Luther Aechmea cylindrata Lindman Aechmea cymosopaniculata Baker Aechmea dactylina Baker Aechmea dealbata E. Morren ex Baker Aechmea decurva Proctor Aechmea depressa L.B. Smith Aechmea dichlamydea Baker var. pariaensis Pittendrigh var. trinitensis L.B. Smith Aechmea digitata L.B. Smith & R.W. Read Aechmea discordiae Leme Aechmea disjuncta (L.B. Smith) Leme & J.A. Siqueira Aechmea distichantha Lemaire var. distichantha forma albiflora L.B. Smith var. schlumbergeri E. Morren ex Mez var. glaziovii (Baker) L.B. Smith var. vernicosa E. Pereira Aechmea downsiana Pittendrigh Aechmea drakeana André Aechmea echinata (Leme) Leme Aechmea egleriana L.B. Smith Aechmea emmerichiae Leme Aechmea entringeri Leme Aechmea eurycorymbus Harms Aechmea farinosa (Regel) L.B. Smith var. conglomerata (Baker) L.B. Smith var. discolor (Beer) L.B. Smith Aechmea fasciata (Lindley) Baker var. purpurea (Guillon) Mez var. flavivittata Reitz var. pruinosa Reitz Aechmea fendleri André ex Mez Aechmea fernandae (E. Morren) Baker Aechmea ferruginea L.B. Smith Aechmea filicaulis (Grisebach) Mez Aechmea flavorosea E. Pereira Aechmea flemingii H. Luther Aechmea floribunda Martius ex Schultes f. Aechmea fosteriana L.B. Smith var. rupicola Leme Aechmea fraseri Baker Aechmea frassyi Leme & J.A. Siqueira Aechmea fraudulosa Mez Aechmea froesii (L.B. Smith) Leme & J.A. Siqueira Aechmea fuerstenbergii E. Morren & Wittmack Aechmea fulgens Brongniart var. discolor (C. Morren) Brongniart Aechmea galeottii Baker Aechmea gamosepala Wittmack var. nivea Reitz Aechmea geminiflora (Harms) L.B. Smith & M.A. Spencer Aechmea germinyana (Carrière) Baker Aechmea gigantea Baker Aechmea glandulosa Leme Aechmea gracilis Lindman Aechmea grazielae Martinelli & Leme Aechmea guainumbiorum J.A. Siqueira & Leme Aechmea guaratubensis E. Pereira Aechmea gurkeniana E. Pereira & Moutinho Aechmea gustavoi J.A. Siqueira & Leme Aechmea haltonii H. Luther Aechmea hoppii (Harms) L.B. Smith Aechmea huebneri Harms Aechmea iguana Wittmack Aechmea incompta Leme & H. Luther Aechmea involucrata André Aechmea joannis T. Strehl var. alvipetala T. Strehl Aechmea kentii (H. Luther) L.B. Smith & M.A. Spencer Aechmea kertesziae Reitz var. viridiaurata Reitz Aechmea kleinii Reitz Aechmea koesteri Manzanares Aechmea kuntzeana Mez Aechmea lactifera Leme & J.A. Siqueira Aechmea laevigata Leme Aechmea lamarchei Mez Aechmea lanata (L.B. Smith) L.B. Smith & M.A. Spencer Aechmea ×lanjouwii (L.B. Smith) Gouda & Moonen

Aechmea lasseri L.B. Smith Aechmea latifolia (Willdenow ex Schultes f.) Klotzsch ex Baker Aechmea leonard-kentiana H. Luther & Leme Aechmea leptantha (Harms) Leme & J.A. Siqueira Aechmea leucolepis L.B. Smith Aechmea lingulata (Linnaeus) Baker Aechmea lingulatoides Leme & H. Luther Aechmea linharesiorum Leme Aechmea longicuspis Baker Aechmea longifolia (Rudge) L.B. Smith & M.A. Spencer Aechmea lueddemanniana (K. Koch) Mez in Engler Aechmea lugoi (Gilmartin & H. Luther) L.B. Smith & M.A. Spencer Aechmea lymanii W. Weber Aechmea maasii Gouda & W. Till Aechmea macrochlamys L.B. Smith Aechmea maculata L.B. Smith Aechmea magdalenae (André) André ex Baker var. quadricolor M.B. Foster Aechmea manzanaresiana H. Luther Aechmea marauensis Leme Aechmea marginalis Leme & J.A. Siqueira Aechmea mariae-reginae H. Wendland Aechmea melinonii Hooker Aechmea mertensii (G. Meyer) Schultes f. Aechmea mexicana Baker Aechmea microcephala E. Pereira & Leme Aechmea milsteiniana L.B. Smith & R.W. Read Aechmea miniata (Beer) hortus ex Baker var. discolor (Beer) Beer Aechmea mira Leme & H. Luther Aechmea mollis L.B. Smith Aechmea moonenii Gouda Aechmea moorei H. Luther Aechmea mulfordii L.B. Smith Aechmea multiflora L.B. Smith Aechmea murcae (L.B. Smith) L.B. Smith & M.A. Spencer Aechmea muricata (Arruda) L.B. Smith Aechmea mutica L.B. Smith Aechmea nallyi L.B. Smith Aechmea napoensis L.B. Smith & M.A. Spencer Aechmea nidularioides L.B. Smith Aechmea nivea L.B. Smith Aechmea nudicaulis (Linnaeus) Grisebach var. cuspidata Baker forma tabuleirensis (Reitz) Reitz var. aureorosea (Antoine) L.B. Smith var. aequalis L.B. Smith & Reitz var. flavomarginata E. Pereira var. simulans E. Pereira var. plurifolia E. Pereira var. capitata Reitz var. nordestina J.A. Siqueira & Leme Aechmea organensis Wawra Aechmea orlandiana L.B. Smith ssp. belloi E. Pereira & Leme Aechmea ornata Baker var. hoehneana L.B. Smith var. nationalis Reitz Aechmea pabstii E. Pereira & Moutinho Aechmea pallida L.B. Smith Aechmea paniculata Ruiz & Pavón Aechmea paniculigera (Swartz) Grisebach Aechmea paradoxa (Leme) Leme Aechmea patentissima (Martius ex Schultes & Schultes f.) Baker Aechmea patriciae H. Luther Aechmea pectinata Baker Aechmea pedicellata Leme & H. Luther Aechmea penduliflora André Aechmea perforata L.B. Smith Aechmea pernambucentris J.A. Siqueira & Leme Aechmea phanerophlebia Baker Aechmea pimenti-velosoi Reitz var. glabra Reitz Aechmea pineliana (Brongniart ex Planchon) Baker var. minuta M.B. Foster Aechmea pittieri Mez Aechmea podantha L.B. Smith Aechmea poitaei (Baker) L.B. Smith & M.A. Spencer Aechmea politii L.B. Smith Aechmea polyantha E. Pereira & Reitz Aechmea prancei L.B. Smith Aechmea prava E. Pereira Aechmea pseudonudicaulis Leme Aechmea pubescens Baker Aechmea purpureorosea (Hooker) Wawra Aechmea pyramidalis Bentham Aechmea racinae L.B. Smith var. tubiformis E. Pereira var. erecta L.B. Smith Aechmea ramosa Martius ex Schultes f. var. festiva L.B. Smith Aechmea ramusculosa Leme Aechmea reclinata C. Sastre & R. Brithmer Aechmea recurvata (Klotzsch) L.B. Smith var. ortgiesii (Baker) Reitz var. benrathii (Mez) Reitz var. albobracteata T. Strehl Aechmea retusa L.B. Smith Aechmea roberto-anselmoi E. Pereira & Leme Aechmea roberto-seidelii E. Pereira Aechmea rodriguesiana (L.B. Smith) L.B. Smith Aechmea roeseliae H. Luther Aechmea romeroi L.B. Smith Aechmea rubens (L.B. Smith) L.B. Smith Aechmea rubiginosa Mez Aechmea rubrolilacina Leme Aechmea saxicola L.B. Smith Aechmea seideliana W. Weber Aechmea seidelii (Leme) L.B. Smith & M.A. Spencer Aechmea serragrandensis Leme & J.A. Siqueira Aechmea serrata (Linnaeus) Mez Aechmea servitensis André var. exigua L.B. Smith Aechmea setigera Martius ex Schultes f. Aechmea smithiorum Mez var. longistipitata E. Gross Aechmea spectabilis Brongniart ex Houllet Aechmea sphaerocephala Baker Aechmea squarrosa Baker Aechmea stenosepala L.B. Smith Aechmea streptocalycoides Philcox Aechmea strobilacea L.B. Smith Aechmea strobilina (Beurling) L.B. Smith & R.W. Read Aechmea subpetiolata L.B. Smith Aechmea sucreana Martinelli & C. Vieira Aechmea sulbahianensis Leme, Amorim & J.A. Siqueira Aechmea tayoensis Gilmartin Aechmea tentaculifera Leme, Amorim & J.A. Siqueira Aechmea tessmannii Harms Aechmea tillandsioides (Martius ex Schultes f.) Baker Aechmea tocantina Baker Aechmea tomentosa Mez Aechmea tonduzii Mez & Pittier ex Mez Aechmea triangularis L.B. Smith Aechmea triticina Mez Aechmea turbinocalyx Mez Aechmea vanhoutteana (Van Houtte) Mez Aechmea vasquezii H. Luther Aechmea veitchii Baker Aechmea victoriana L.B. Smith var. discolor M.B. Foster Aechmea viridostigma Leme & H. Luther Aechmea warasii E. Pereira var. discolor E. Pereira var. intermedia (E. Pereira) E. Pereira & Leme Aechmea weberbaueri Harms Aechmea weberi (E. Pereira & Leme) Leme Aechmea weilbachii Didrichsen var. weilbachii forma pendula Reitz forma leodiensis (André) E. Pereira & Leme forma viridisepala E. Pereira & Leme var. albipetala Leme & A. Costa Aechmea werdermannii Harms Aechmea williamsii (L.B. Smith) L.B. Smith & M.A. Spencer Aechmea winkleri Reitz Aechmea wittmackiana (Regel) Mez Aechmea woronowii Harms Aechmea wuelfinghoffii E. Gross Aechmea zebrina L.B. Smith

Read about Aechmea in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

A. aurantiaca, Baker~Canistrum aurantiacum. A. Barleei, Baker. Corolla pale yellow. Honduras. A. brasiliensis, Regel. Lvs. rauch dilated at base, whitish below, black-toothed: petals light blue: calyx and rachis red: panicle branched. Brazil. A. bromeliaefolia. Baker. Dense spike: Lvs. whitish below, 3-4 ft. long, serrate or spinescent: fls. light yellow. S. Amer. A. Cornui, Carr.~A. nudicaulis. A. Drakeana, Andre. Lvs. whitish, finely dentate: spike simple and lax; fls. long-tubular, light blue; bracts and ovaries coral-red: berries rose, becoming blue. S. Amer. A. exsudans, Morr.~Gravisia exsudans. A. Furstenbergii, Morr.~Streptocalyx Furstenbergii. A. gigas, Morr. Floral lvs. crimson: fls. in a dense infl.; sepals white, lepidote; corolla pale green. Brazil. A. glomerata, Hook.~Hohenbergia stellata, Schult. A. Hystrix, Morr. Lvs. lepidote, whitish, crowded: spike oblong, dense; fls. purple, tomentose. Guiana. A. lavandulacea, C. H. Wright. Fls. distichous, paniculate, the sepals awned. green, the petals deep violet. Grenada. B.M. 8005. A. macracantha, Brongn. ~A. Schiedeana. A. Melinonii, Hook. Panicle 3-pinnate, dense; petals bright red: lvs. spiny. 1 1/2-2 ft. Guiana. A. mexicana, Baker. Lvs. long and large, fine-toothed: panicle 2-pinnate. long and lax, the peduncles mealy; petals crimson. Mex. A. miniata, Hort.~Bilibergia thyrsoidea(?). A. myriophylla, Morr. Allied to A. distichantha. Lvs, narrow, 2-3 ft., spiny, silvery-scaly on the back: fls. red, the petals fading blue. Trop. Amer. B.M. 6939. A. nudicaulis. Griseo. Lvs. long and straight, brown-toothed: bract-lvs. subtending: spike large, brilliant red; petals yellow. Trop. Amer. R.H. 1885:36 (as A. Cornui, which is a form with shorter and denser spike). A. paniculigera, Griseb. Lvs. large and long: panicle 1-2 ft. long, with few-fld. branches: scape tall, reddish, downy; fls. purple. Trop. Amer. A. Schiedeana, Schlecht. (A. macracantha. Brongn.). Lvs. large, rigid, strongly armed: panicle 3-pinnate, pubescent: fls. pale yellow. Mex. Gt. 43 p. 175. A. serrata, Mez. Panicle very dense, bipinnate; fls. distichous, sessile; sepals spinulose; petals violet, mucronate. Martinique. A. zebrina~Billbergia zebrina. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

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External links

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