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Ochagavia

Family

Bromeliaceae

A genus of four or five species of subshrubs, natives of Chile, with the habit of the species described below. Flowers pink or yellow, clustered in a dense sessile or shortly stalked head. Sepals three. Petals three, erect, without ligules at the base. Stamens six. Ovary inferior. Style slender, longer than the petals, with three stigmas. Fruit fleshy, with numerous small seeds.

The related genus Fascicularia, also Chilean, consists of a few species of mostly epiphytic, stemless herbs. It is represented out-of-doors in this country mainly by F. pitcairniifolia (Verl.) Mez, with grey-green spiny leaves up to 18 in. long and dense clusters of blue flowers in autumn. At the time of flowering the short inner leaves become, partially or wholly, bright red. Bot. Mag., t. 8087. This species has grown for many years on the rock garden by the pond at Wakehurst in Sussex, and flowers there. There was once a patch 10 ft wide at the Ludgvan Rectory, Cornwall.

Species articles