Primal Plants

Brocchinia is a genus of plants in the Bromeliaceae family, notable for being the sole genus in the subfamily Brocchinioideae. Native primarily to the ancient Guayana Shield in southern Venezuela and Guyana, these plants thrive in nutrient-poor, sandy or rocky environments.

 

The genus includes around 20 species, some of which have evolved remarkable adaptations for nutrient capture. Notably, Brocchinia reducta and Brocchinia hechtioides are considered carnivorous, trapping insects in water-filled leaf tanks and secreting enzymes to digest them.