BROMELIA PINGUAN - BROMELIA BALANSAE

POPULAR NAMES: Beach bromelia, bananinha do mato, caraguatá, caroatá and gravatá

BROMELIACEAE

INDIGENOUS NAME: Caraguatá and gravatá comes from the Tupi-Guarani and means "herb of the fibrous leaf and the sequence of the various states that the fruits are edible."

Origin: Both species occur in the savannah in the whole of Brazil, and the gravatá has wider distribution, from the northern Pantanal, passing by the coast in the Atlantic Forest to Santa Catarina.

Characteristics: Perennial, erect and acaulescent plant of the size of 40 to 90 cm (1 to 3 feet), forms tussocks.  Leaves in basal rosettes in lanceolate, coriaceous, with margins provided with hooked spines, red base and green at the apex, up to one meter (3 feet) long. The violet flowers are arranged in a raceme leaving the center of the rosette. The fruits are obovate or oval berries in yellow color, have one length of 3 to 5 cm and one diameter of 2 to 3 cm. The pulp is white or yellow with 8 to 14 seeds per fruit.

Planted in the site of Frutas Raras: Gravatá planted in April 2006, has not yet produced. Caraguatá planted in September 1998.

Tips for planting: The plant has many thorns, but it must take care in planting. It is resistant to drought and frosts of to -3°C (27°F), appreciates acid soils, well drained and deep, accepts shaded environment for the tie.

Propagation:  Does propagate easier by suckers or shoots from the base of the stem. The seeds germinate well in sandy substrate, over a period of 60 to 120 days, take mostly about 2 years to reach the size of 40 cm (approx. 1 foot). Suckers separated from the motherplant will fruit in the age of approx. 3 years, while the seedlings will take 5 to 8 years to fruit.

Planting: I recommend that it should planted in full sun in the space of 2 x 2 m (7 x 7 feet). Best planting season is December to January, to water 10 l after planting and every 15 days if no rain. The holes should contain 1 cart of sand and gravel trailer, 5 l of organic compost made of decomposed leaves and 30% of cattle manure mixed.

Cultivating: The plant grows slowly and does not require special care, and is generally used to hedge. Fertilize only for each rosette 20 grams of NPK 4-14-8 diluted in water, during the month of September.

Uses: Some varieties have more fresh fruit, are generally more acid and fiber, are generally consumed in the form of syrups where the fruit is boiled with honey, or as juice, which is quite nice.

Flowering in the site of Frutas Raras: October 2003.

Fruiting in the site of Frutas Raras:  May 2004.