For Ananas as a fruit : see pineapple
See text
The genus Ananas belongs to the Bromeliad family (Bromeliaceae). It is best known for the species Ananas comosus, better known as pineapple.
This genus originally occurred in South America. It was brought to the Caribbean Islands by the Carib Indians. It was there in 1493 that Christopher Columbus first saw it in Guadeloupe. It was brought to Europe. From there is was distributed to the Pacific Islands by the Spaniards and the English. Commercial plantations were established on Hawaii, the Philippines, SE Asia, Florida and Cuba. It is now one of the most popular fruits.
The tough leaves grow in large rosets, arising basally from a crown. These leaves are long, lanceolate with a serrate or thorny margin.
The flowers, arising from the heart of the roset, each have their own sepal. They grow into a compact head on a short, robust stalk. The sepals become fleshy and juicy and develop into the well-known complex form of the pseudocarp fruit, crowned by a roset of leaves.
The word 'Ananas' is derived from the Guarani Indian name for the pineapple .
Species
- Ananas ananassoides var. typicus
- Ananas arvensis : (Brazil)
- Ananas bracteatus : (Brazil)
- Ananas bracteatus var. albus
- Ananas bracteatus var. hondurensis
- Ananas bracteatus var. paraguariensis
- Ananas bracteatus var. rudis
- Ananas bracteatus var. striatus : (South America)
- Ananas bracteatus var. tricolor
- Ananas bracteatus var. typicus
- Ananas comosus : pineapple (Brazil)
- Ananas erectifolius
- Ananas genesio-linesii : (Brazil)
- Ananas guaraniticus : (Argentina, Paraguay)
- Ananas macrodontes : (Brazil)
- Ananas microcephalus : (tropical America)
- Ananas microcephalus var. major : (South America)
- Ananas microcephalus var. minor : (South America)
- Ananas microcephalus var. missionensis : (Argentina)
- Ananas microcephalus var. mondayanus : (South America)
- Ananas microstachys var. typicus
- Ananas mordilona
- Ananas pancheanus : (Columbia)
- Ananas parguazensis : (South America)
- Ananas pyramidalis
- Ananas sativus : (tropical America)
- Ananas sativus var. hispanorum
- Ananas sativus var. lucidus
- Ananas sativus var. muricatus
- Ananas sativus var. sagenarius
- Ananas sativus f. typicus
- Ananas sativus var. variegatus
- Ananas strictus : (Paraguay)
- Ananas viridis
