Martha Holmes / Queen of the Andes (Puya raimondii) forest. Peru. June 2012.

Martha Holmes / Queen of the Andes (Puya raimondii) forest, Peru. June 2012.

Pete Oxford / Puya {Puya raimondii} with large flower head, nr Mizque, Bolivia

JIM CLARE / Close up of flower spike of Puya plant {Puya raimondii} Peru

Pete Oxford / Puya raimondii {Puya raimondii}, largest known bromeliad, near Mizque, Bolivia

JIM CLARE / Puya raimondii in flower with camerman to give scale, Huascaran NP, Andes, Peru

Luiz Claudio Marigo / {Puya raimondii} in flower, largest bromeliad in the world, Bolivia

Luiz Claudio Marigo / Man beside {Puya raimondii} in flower, largest bromeliad in the world, Bolivia

Pete Oxford / Puya raimondii flowerheads, altiplano, Comanche NP, Bolivia

JIM CLARE / {Puya raimondii} flower spike, Huascaran NP Andes, Peru, South America

Pete Oxford / Looking down into the leaves of a Puya plant {Puya raimondii} Bolivia

Pete Oxford / Puya bromeliad with flower head {Puya raimondii} Bolivia