''Ochagavia litoralis'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of flowering plant in the family Bromeliaceae. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

. Its common names include ''calilla'' and ''chupón''.Zizka, G., et al. (2002)
Revision of the genus ''Ochagavia'' (Bromeliaceae, Bromelioideae).
''Willdenowia'' 32(2), 331-50. This species has a stem that may exceed 20 centimeters in length and produces offsets that can form colonies. The narrow, pointed leaves are 17 to 38 centimeters long. They are leathery in texture and whitish and scaly on the undersides. The

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphology (biology), Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of sperma ...

is spherical or oval and contains up to 35 flowers. It is up to about 8 centimeters long and wide and is borne on a stalk up to 12 centimeters long. The flowers are a few centimeters long and each has three pink petals. They are surrounded by bracts. The stamens and

style Style is a manner of doing or presenting things and may refer to: * Architectural style, the features that make a building or structure historically identifiable * Design, the process of creating something * Fashion, a prevailing mode of clothing ...

protrude from the flower. The fruit is a berry 2 to 3 centimeters long. This plant is limited to central Chile, where it occurs in the coastal regions. The species has been seen in inland regions, but not collected there recently. Scattered populations about 15 kilometers inland are known, but these are rare and are considered endangered.Zizka, G., et al. (2009)
Chilean Bromeliaceae: diversity, distribution and evaluation of conservation status.
''Biodiversity and Conservation'' 18(9), 2449-71. The plant mainly grows on steep seaside cliffs, sometimes in dense stands. This plant is sometimes kept in cultivation as an ornamental. It can be seen in

botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...

s, where it is often displayed with succulent collections.

See Also

References

Further reading