Aechmea magdalenae explained

Aechmea magdalenae is a flowering plant in the Bromeliaceae family.[1] It is also known as ixtle. This species is native to Central America, southern Mexico, Colombia and Ecuador.[2] [3] [4] [5] The specific epithet magdalenae comes from the place it was discovered, the Rio Magdalenae Valley in Colombia.[6] The long green leaves feature fierce spines and may reach about 2.5 meters tall.[7] In nature, it is found in moist and swampy woods.[8] The flowers are red and give way to edible fruits.[9]

A. magdalenae uses crassulacean acid metabolism, meaning that it takes in carbon dioxide during the night, stores it, and uses it during the day to produce carbohydrates (allowing its stomata to stay closed during the day, which limits water loss).[10]

Aechmea magdalenae is grown in southern Mexico for its silky fibers.[11] It is also harvested from the wild for these fibers and for its edible fruit. Many in Central and northern South America use the sap from the leaves to prevent infection in wounds, a practice that is effective because the plant has been found to contain acetic acid, which is strongly antibacterial.[12]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Aechmea magdalenae (André) André ex Baker. . n.d.. Plants of the World Online. The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. July 27, 2020.
  2. http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/synonomy.do?name_id=218083 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  3. Luther . Harry E. . An Annotated Checklist of the Bromeliaceae of Costa Rica . Selbyana . 1995 . 16 . 2 . 230–234 . 41759911 . 0361-185X.
  4. Espejo-Serna . Adolfo . López-Ferrari . Ana Rosa . Ramírez-morillo . Ivón . Holst . Bruce K. . Luther . Harry E. . Till . Walter . Checklist of Mexican Bromeliaceae with Notes on Species Distribution and Levels of Endemism . Selbyana . 1 June 2004 . 25 . 1 . 33–86 . en . 2689-0682 . 41760147 .
  5. Book: Luther . H.E. . Jørgensen . P.M. . León-Yánez . S. . Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador = Catálogo de las plantas vasculares del Ecuador . 1999 . Missouri Botanical Garden Press . St. Louis, Mo. . 978-0915279609 . 337–361 . https://web.archive.org/web/20060926234532/http://www.selby.org/clientuploads/research/Bromeliaceae/EcuadorBromeliaceae.pdf . 26 September 2006 . Bromeliaceae .
  6. Web site: Bert. Theresa. Luther. Harry. January 2005. Aechmea Information. live. April 2, 2021. Florida Council of Bromeliad Societies. https://web.archive.org/web/20060104181544/http://fcbs.org:80/articles/Aechmea_spp_table.pdf . 2006-01-04 .
  7. Web site: Aechmea magdalenae - Useful Tropical Plants. 2021-04-02. tropical.theferns.info.
  8. Web site: AECHMEA MAGDALENAE. 2021-04-02. www.backyardnature.net.
  9. Web site: Aechmea magdalenae. 2021-04-02. Pro Eco Azuero. en-US.
  10. Pfitsch. William A.. Smith. Alan P.. 1988. Growth and Photosynthesis of Aechmea magdalenae, a Terrestrial CAM Plant in a Tropical Moist Forest, Panama. Journal of Tropical Ecology. 4. 2. 199–207. 0266-4674.
  11. Book: Stepp, John R. . Wyndham, Felice S.. Zarger, Rebecca K.. Ethnobiology and Biocultural Diversity: Proceedings of the Seventh International Congress of Ethnobiology. 2002. University of Georgia Press. 978-0-8203-2349-7. 576–.
  12. Monga. Gaganpreet Kaur. Ghosal. Anima. Shebitz. Daniela. Ramanathan. Dil. 1970. Determination of antibacterial activity in rhizome of plant Aechmea magdalenae (andre) andre ex baker. Journal of Medicinal Herbs and Ethnomedicine. English. 2455-0485.

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