The Jerusalem Botanical Gardens

Common name: קוץ-שיבול פיטקאירני, אקנתוסטאכיס פיטקיירן

Family: Bromeliaceae (Bromeliad)

Distribution: Brasil : Bahia, Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais states.

Habitat: Tropical rainforests

Life form: Epiphyte

Usage: edible fruit

Uses: Edible Fruit

Etymology: From the Greek ákantha (thorn) and stachys (spike); the flower spikes are spiny

Remarks: There are 2 species in this genus. The more common one is Acanthostachys strobilacea, that grows in Brasil, Paraguay and Argentina.

In memory: of Nizza Yaffe-Ovadia, a teacher of nature and life.

Description: The plant looks similar to the pineapple plant. The leaves are narrow, long and thorny. They are green, and turn to reddish-brown. The inflorescence is small and lilac. When the fruit ripens, the entire inflorescence turns into a single white, fruit-like, glubular structure. The fruiting inflorescence is smaller than that of the pineapple, but just as edible and sweet.