The world's tallest flower : It stands as tell as a two storey house. It has a long spike of flweres with mor then 8,000 individual blooms and it is found in a few islacted parts of the remote High Andes. The plant is named puya Raimondo ii, commonly referred to as "Puya'. During the 1800's botanist named Raimondo ii discovered this unique plant and since then only a dozen other known locations have been found. The "Puya" is found on mountainsides usually above 12,000 feet and at such an altitude the only other vegetation is a course garse and a few low shrubs. The local native population believe that if they see the plant in bloom they will be blended with good fortune. Once the seed germinates it takes years to develop into a large crown of long, prickly leaves about 15 feet high, out of which the huge flower - covered spik grows fairly quickly. No- one knows quite how long it takes from germination to the flowering, but it is thought that 150 years is abut average, and the plant flowers only once before dying. In some cases the short trunk is cut into slabs to make seats, but unmusically they are left where they provide an infrequent supply of nectar for rare humming-birds. The puya plant provides a landmark that can be Set for miles in the Andean mountain land.
Photo measures 10.25 x 8 inches.
Photo is dated --none.
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