Description: One of the island's most widely distributed terrestrial Bromeliads; its large spray of beautiful red flowers will often catch the eye along mountain roads; a perennial herb up to 1 m tall (39 in); leaves born in basal, ground-level rosette, are long and narrow, up to 1.2 m long (4 ft) and about 6 cm wide (2.3 in), with small spines at edges and fluffy white scales on under-surface; flowers brilliant scarlet, borne in large, panicular inflorescences, up to 1.5 m (4.9 ft); flowering mostly March to September; fruit a capsule up to 13 mm long (0.5 in).

Plant Family: Belongs to the Bromeliaceae or Pineapple family, which includes Pineapple (Ananas comosus) and the local epiphyte, Wild Pine or Zanana Sauvage (Tillandsia utriculata).

Natural Habitat: Wide ranging – in Dominica, from relatively dry, rocky, coastal cliffs to humid, mid mountain regions; common in secondary growth along roads; tolerant of sulphur fumes and found in vicinity of fumaroles.

Origin and Distribution: Indigenous to South America, and now found in several other West Indian islands.

Uses: Primarily ornamental for its large, brilliant, scarlet inflorescence; medicinally, Caribs used scales on underside of leaves to treat burns; and they used these scales mixed with honey to heal the navel after umbilical cord cut and to treat thrush in infants.

Indigenous Legends: The local creole name, Zanana Falaise, means “pineapple of the cliffs” and refers to the precipitous and rocky areas where this plant is not infrequently found

References:
Arlington A. James. An Illustrated Guide to Dominica’s Botanic Gardens. Forestry, Wildlife and Parks Division, Ministry of Agriculture, Dominica 2007
Robert A. DeFilipps. Useful Plants of the Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 1998
Penelope N. Honeychurch. Caribbean Wild Plants and Their Uses. Macmillan, London, 1986
C.D. Adams. Flowering Plants of Jamaica. University of the West Indies, Mona, Glasgow University Press 1972