| Actual Image
Frog 20 (20)
timtim
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 961 W: 74 N: 453]](http://i1.treklens.com/misc/g-g-g.gif) (7873) | This is the 20th frog pic I have posted, for a change I have posted a wide view. (I will put macro in workshop)
The plant the frog is in is called 'Alcantarea imperialis rubra'
The genus Alcantarea, with approximately 20 species is an offshoot of the much larger genus Vriesea. Why is the number only approximate, when there are so few? Well, as with so many of the bromeliad family, this is a group of plants that has still to be fully determined, with new species being added and still to be added in the near future, as well as reclassification of existing species. For such regal plants, the genus is fittingly named after the 2nd Emperor of Brazil.
Alcantarea imperialis is the most regal and is considered the signature species of this genus. It is one of the giants of the bromeliad family. This Bromeliad grows to a span of more than 1.5 metres, although it can take up to ten years to get to this size. The thick flower spike reaches up to 3.5 metres in height, producing hundreds of slightly fragrant creamy white flowers. The green, slightly ribbed leaves are quite leathery and tough with a distinctive waxy bloom over the surface, giving a bluish colouration from a distance. |
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