Ananas comosus Merr.

Description: Perennial herb native to Brazil. The only common food plant in the Bromeliaceae. Cultivated commercially in the tropics and parts of the subtropics of the Old and New Worlds, with Hawaii producing one-third of the worlds crop. First domesticated by the Guarani Indians in what is now northern Paraguay before the arrival of the Spanish. Unlike other edible plants from the new world, the pineapple was quickly accepted by the Europeans.
The pineapple itself is a multiple fruit formed by the partial fusion of numerous fleshy segments from several separate flowers in which the hardened sepals from a continuous rind over the outside. The fruit is normally seedless due to self incompatibility and the use of Triploid cultivars.
The major portion of the pineapple crop is canned. They are also eaten raw, dried, in confectionaries and a juice is extracted. Cores have been made into candles. The juice is the source of denatured alcohol and an alcoholic beverage, 'Vin d' Ananas'. Pressed peels and cores are used as food for livestock. Pineapple waste is made into vinegar. Leaves are a source of a hard fiber called 'Pina Fibre'. The fruit which must be ripened on the plant contains about 15 percent sugar plus fruit acids, vitamins and minerals. There are many different varieties cultivated.
[Thai: sapparot (laai)]

Uses: Medicinal: Contains Bromelain, which acts as an anti-inflammatory and proteolytic.
- IMPORTANT NOTE: Plant Uses are for informational purposes only. EEB Greenhouses assume no responsibility for adverse effects from the use of any plants referred to on this site. Always seek advice from a professional before using any plant medicinally.

Accession # 198500386
Source: Unknown
Accession Date: 12-31-1985
Bench: 1315 - NEOA: East Bench SS
- Currently: active - healthy
- Qty: 2 confirmed on 10-08-2024

This accession has been observed in bloom on:

EEB Greenhouse Holdings native to: Costa Rica / Panama / French Guiana / Guyana / Suriname / Venezuela / Bolivia / Colombia / Ecuador / Peru / Brazil West-Central / Brazil Northeast / Brazil Southeast / Brazil North / Brazil South / Argentina Northeast / Paraguay

EEB greenhouse tour guide prepared by Richard Piacentini, no date given, original source material from Uphof, 1968 & Schery, 1972
The Plant List (2013). Version 1.1. Last accessed on Friday, July 21, 2017.
WCSP (2016). World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Last accessed on Friday, July 21, 2017.
Ananas comosus at Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Last accessed on Friday, July 21, 2017.

data regenerated on Tue, 22 Apr 2025 14:54:01 -0400 [bcm v4.0]

Plant Biodiversity Conservatory and Research Core