Ananas

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This article is about the plant genus. For the municipality in Tocantins state, Brazil, see Ananás,
Tocantins. For other uses, see Anana.

Ananas

Pineapple (Ananas comosus)

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Plantae

Clade: Angiosperms

Clade: Monocots

Clade: Commelinids

Order: Poales
 Family: Bromeliaceae

Subfamily: Bromelioideae

Genus: Ananas
Mill.

Synonyms[1]

 Ananassa Lindl.
 Pseudananas Hassl. ex Harms in
H.G.A.Engler

Ananas is a plant genus of the bromeliad family (Bromeliaceae), native to South

America and Central America,[1] which includes the species Ananas comosus, the pineapple.[2]
This genus originated in Mesoamerica and was brought to the Caribbean Islands by
the Carib natives. The oldest register with the representation of the fruit seems to be included in
the Cascajal Block, attributed to the Olmec civilization.[1]
In 1493, Christopher Columbus first saw plants of this genus in Guadeloupe. It was brought from
Brazil to Europe by the Portuguese, and from there was distributed to the Pacific Islands by the
Spanish and the English. Commercial pineapple plantations were established in Hawaii,
the Philippines, Southeast Asia, Florida, the Dominican Republic and Cuba. The pineapple has
become one of the world's most popular fruits.[1]
The tough leaves grow in large rosettes, arising basally from a crown. These leaves are long and
lanceolate with a serrated or thorny margin. The flowers, arising from the heart of the rosette, each
have their own sepals. They grow into a compact head on a short, robust stalk. The sepals become
fleshy and juicy and develop into the well-known complex form of the pseudocarp fruit, crowned by a
rosette of leaves.[1]
Ananas species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species
including Batrachedra comosae, which feeds exclusively on A. comosus.

Contents

 1Etymology
 2Chemistry
 3Ethnobotanical uses
 4Production
 5Species
 6Gallery
 7References

Etymology[edit]
The word Ananas is derived from the Guarani name for the pineapple, via Portuguese. In most Old
World languages, pineapple is called ananas.

Chemistry[edit]
Ananas species contain both bromelain and papain to which they owe their meat-tenderizing
properties.[citation needed]

Ethnobotanical uses[edit]
The fruit and roots are used by some peoples as anti-inflammatory, proteolytic agent, and a
root decoction for diarrhea.[citation needed]

Production[edit]
The biggest producers of pineapples in 2014 were Costa Rica (2.9 million tonnes), Brazil (2.6) and
the Philippines (2.5).[3]

Species[edit]

Common
Image Scientific name Distribution
Name

Ananas
ananassoides(Baker) L.B. from Costa Rica to Paraguay
Smith

Ananas bracteatus(Lindley) red Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, Paraguay,

Schultes & Schultes f. pineapple Ecuador
 Brazil and Paraguay; naturalized in parts
of Asia, Africa, Australia, Mexico,
Ananas comosus(Linnaeus) Pineapple Central America, the West Indies,
Merrill
northern South America, and various
islands in the Pacific

Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela,

Ananas erectifoliusL.B.Sm.
northern Brazil, French Guiana

Ananas lucidus (Aiton) Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela,

Schult. & Schult.f northern Brazil, French Guiana

Ananas Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay,

macrodontesE.Morren northern Argentina

Ananas Colombia, Venezuela, northern Brazil,

parguazensisCamargo & L.B. Guyana, French Guiana
Smith