Plant Listings

Catopsis floribunda L. B. Smith

Common Names: No common name

Family: Bromeliaceace

Habit: Catopsis floribunda grows without discernible stems up to 50 cm (excluding inflorescence) in height. The light green leaves are in a rosette forming a series of cups at their base that can hold water and detritus.   The leaves are parallel veined, lanceolate, to 3 cm wide at the base and 0.5 m in length.

The actinomorphic flowers, each with a subtending bract, are arranged in a bipinnate-spike that is 2 -4 times the length of the leaves.  The lower bracts are leaf like while the upper are tightly appressed to the peduncle. There are 3 green unfused sepals in the calyx that exceed the length of the bracts.  There are 3 green unfused petals in the corolla.  There are 6 stamens that are shorter than the petals.  The ovary is superior with 3 locules and numerous seeds.  The fruit is a capsule that is equal in length to the sepals. Each seed has a tuft of hair to assist in dispersal. 

Habitat: Catopsis floribunda grows as an epiphyte on trees and shrubs in very wet coppices.

Distribution in Bahamas/Globally: Catopsis floribunda is known to occur on Andros Island in the Bahamian Archipelago as well as Florida, the Caribbean region and Central America.

Medicinal/Cultural/Economic usage: Catopsis floribunda is not used medicinally in the Bahamas.