Meet the Ursulaeas

The bromeliads are a family of flowering plants of some 3,170 species, native mainly to the tropical Americas. They have been of good use to mankind for thousands of years: the Incas, Aztecs, Maya and other groups used them for food, protection, fiber and ceremony—if you have tasted pineapple, you’ve eaten a bromeliad. When Spanish conquistadors returned to Europe with pineapple, their exotic flavor became a sensation all over.

Two species of the genus Ursulaea (named after Ursula Baensch, plant breeder and co-author of Blooming Bromeliads) are endemic to Mexico—particularly the forests of western Jalisco—and were recently photographed by Petr Myska at the Vallarta Botanical Gardens.

Ursula macvaughii was named after botany professor, Rogers McVaugh.

Ursula tuitensis was named after the town of El Tuito, one hour south of Puerto Vallarta.

A frequent Vallarta Lifestyles collaborator, Petr Myska is a renowned zoologist, conservationist and photographer from the Czech Republic who has been a Vallarta resident since 2000 (myskaphoto.com). Myska has developed a niche documenting the region’s flora and fauna with spectacular photography.

A visit to the Vallarta Botanical Gardens has been an indispensable visit in Vallarta since it opened its doors to the public in 2004. Learn more about them by visiting their website, www.vbgardens.org.