Robust, terrestrial bromeliad forming a tight rosette 60 – 150 cm tall. Leaves 50 – 120 cm long, linear‑lanceolate, waxy‑blue‑green with coarse marginal spines; leaf bases overlap to create a water‑holding tank. The terminal inflorescence bears 50 – 200 purple‑violet flowers subtended by red‑tipped bracts; post‑pollination, individual berries fuse into a single multiple fruit (syncarp) 10 – 30 cm long and 0.5 – 4 kg. Crown of leafy “slips” develops atop the fruit. Stem short and fibrous; adventitious roots arise along its length. Wild types exhibit stronger spination and smaller fruits; cultivated clones vary in flesh colour from pale‑yellow to deep‑gold.
Plant 0.6 – 1.5 m tall; rosette Ø 1 m
Fruit 0.5 – 4 kg (cultivar dependent)
Individual plant 2 – 3 yr; ratoon cycle 4–5 yr
Not applicable (monoecious)
Flower induction at 12 – 18 mo under tropical conditions
Commercial flowering induced year‑round; natural peak late dry season
Fruit maturation 5 – 6 mo after flowering
Robust, terrestrial bromeliad forming a tight rosette 60 – 150 cm tall. Leaves 50 – 120 cm long, linear‑lanceolate, waxy‑blue‑green with coarse marginal spines; leaf bases overlap to create a water‑holding tank. The terminal inflorescence bears 50 – 200 purple‑violet flowers subtended by red‑tipped bracts; post‑pollination, individual berries fuse into a single multiple fruit (syncarp) 10 – 30 cm long and 0.5 – 4 kg. Crown of leafy “slips” develops atop the fruit. Stem short and fibrous; adventitious roots arise along its length. Wild types exhibit stronger spination and smaller fruits; cultivated clones vary in flesh colour from pale‑yellow to deep‑gold.
Primary producer; inflorescences supply nectar to hummingbirds and native bees; ripe fruit eaten by agoutis, coatis and parrots, aiding seed dispersal in non‑commercial stands.
“Social” Traits & Reproductive Behaviour
Reproductive strategy: each plant produces a single terminal inflorescence holding 50 – 200 bisexual flowers. In wild or land‑race stands, flowers are pollinated primarily by hummingbirds (Phaethornis, Chlorostilbon spp.) and native stingless bees; commercial plantations often suppress pollinators to avoid seed formation.
Floral biology: exhibits partial self‑incompatibility; protogynous phase lasts ~12 h before anthers dehisce.
Vegetative propagation: farmers detach slips, suckers and crowns from the mother plant, creating clonal “social clusters” (ratoon cycles).
Phenology: natural flowering peaks in the late dry season; industrial farms apply ethylene (ethephon) to synchronize bloom.
Axil micro‑ecosystems: overlapping leaves form water‑holding tanks (phytotelmata) that host diverse aquatic invertebrates and provide hydration sites for tree frogs.
The pineapple “fruit” is a multiple fruit: 100–200 individual berries fused around a central axis.
Contains the proteolytic enzyme bromelain, used medically to reduce inflammation and to tenderise meat.
Christopher Columbus first encountered pineapple on Guadeloupe in 1493 and introduced it to Europe.
A ripe pineapple can contain up to 16 % sugar yet remains low on the glycemic index thanks to high fibre.
Traditionally a symbol of hospitality in the Caribbean; carved pineapples adorn colonial door‑knockers.
Introduced
Increasing
Robust requiem shark with fusiform body and high, slightly rounded first dorsal fin whose origin lies over (or just anterior to) the free rear tip of the pectorals. Snout long, broad and rounded; eyes circular with nictitating membrane. Dorsum uniform grey‑brown, ventrum white; no prominent flank markings.
