Family: Bromeliaceae
Werauhia sanguinolenta, previously known as Vriesea sanguinolenta, is a colorful tank-forming epiphytic bromeliad that can grow up to 2 meters high when flowering. It is native to tropical areas of the Americas, including Costa Rica, Colombia, and various Caribbean islands. The plant has a rosette of about 10 suberect leaves that are glossy, smooth, and green to purple in color. The plant is pollinated mainly by glossophagine bats but is also facultatively autogamous and capable of producing wind-dispersed seeds when pollinators are scarce or absent. It has been cultivated as an ornamental and has become naturalized on the island of Oahu in non-native forest. Although no negative impacts have been documented to date, it may be able to compete with and exclude native epiphytes if it becomes established in native forest communities.
High Risk Traits:
- Thrives and can spread in regions with tropical climates
- Broad elevation range within tropical climates
- Naturalized on Oahu, Hawaiian Islands.
- Able to colonize many different host trees.
- Establishes at high densities. Could compete with native epiphytes in native forest communities.
- Reproduces by seeds, and rarely by vegetative offsets.
- Facultatively autogamous (capable of self-fertilization when pollinators are scarce or absent).
- Seeds dispersed by wind and through intentional cultivation by people.
- Viable seeds may persist for >1 year in the environment.
Low Risk Traits:
- No documented evidence of negative impacts has been reported to date.
- Currently only naturalized in non-native forest in the Hawaiian Islands (although ability to establish on many host trees suggests this may be a result of early stages of naturalization).
- Unarmed (no spines, thorns, or burrs)
- Non-toxic
- Grows best in high light environments (dense shade may inhibit spread)
- Reaches maturity in >3+ years.