You receive a special treat today from Andreas of Bogotá (aka Quimbaya@Flickr | original image 1 | original image 2 |BPotD Flickr Group Pool). I know I'm not likely to ever see this in the wild, so I'm thankful for your sharing, Andreas! (As an aside, Andreas, Steve Swinscoe is trying to contact you re: Ceroxylon quindiuense).

There is very little online information about this rare species. For example, other than a few small photographs in the Flora Illustrada del Páramo de Chingaza (here), what you see today is the extent of what's available online for images.

I did find one species-specific tidbit of information from – believe it or not – the California Department of Fish and Game; it appears California DFG hosted an international conference on bears. This PDF on bear habitat assessment posters displayed at the conference makes mention (page 11) of research about the spectacled bear and its role as a dispersal agent for seeds in its habitat, including the seeds of Puya santosii. I imagine Puya santosii is not the only bromeliad to benefit – plants in the family Bromeliaceae are an important component in the diet of this second-most endangered bear species in the world.

Photography resource link: for inspiration, Daily Walks, the photography of Californian Diane Varner. After spending some time viewing the photographs, you might be curious to read about Diane and her postprocessing technique.