N - Neoregelia

Another "close encounters to the unknown" for me this week... I have been thinking of flowers starting with "N," and as with the other difficult letters, I thought I'd miss this week, but thankful to that book of flowers I bought at a school fair more than a decade ago, I am still running the ABC journey.

Neoregelia is a genus of the botanical family Bromeliaceae, subfamily Bromelioideae. The genus name is for Eduard August von Regel, director of St. Petersburg Botanic Gardens in Russia (1815-1892).

A genus of bromeliads with mostly broad, relatively flat leaves. Inflorescences form in a shallow depression the center of the plant, which often fills partway with water, through which the flowers bloom. The leaves immediately surrounding the inflorescence are very often brightly colored, and many species show banding or striping on most or all of their leaves. Neoregelia species are commonly cultivated and hybridized for their colorful foliage. There are over 5000 registered cultivars. {Source: Wikipedia

I took this picture last April, when I noticed our plant were starting to bloom. It was so cute to see tiny purplish flowers, that even if there were only three flowers, I still took a picture of it. I intend to post this picture that time for a photo hunt item called "signs of spring," but I shared a different picture. Anyway, at first I thought the flowers would bloom together, but as I watched the life cycle of these flowers, some would wilt before the other blooms. Still, my mom and I were happy to see these flowers, even if it was quite difficult to notice because of its reddish and broad leaves.

*** Jenn ***