Pineapple

Pineapple
A pineapple on its parent plant
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Bromeliaceae
Genus: Ananas
Species:
A. comosus
Binomial name
Ananas comosus
(L.) Merr.
Synonyms[1]
List
    • Ananas acostae C. Commelijn
    • Ananas ananas (L.) H.Karst. ex Voss nom. inval.
    • Ananas argentata J.C.Wendl. ex Schult. & Schult.f.
    • Ananas aurata J.C.Wendl. ex Schult. & Schult.f.
    • Ananas bracteatus Baker
    • Ananas coccineus Descourt.
    • Ananas debilis Schult. & Schult.f.
    • Ananas lyman-smithii Camargo nom. inval.
    • Ananas maxima Schult. & Schult.f.
    • Ananas monstrosus (Carrière) L.B.Sm.
    • Ananas ovatus Mill.
    • Ananas pancheanus André
    • Ananas penangensis Baker
    • Ananas porteanus Veitch ex K.Koch
    • Ananas pyramidalis Mill.
    • Ananas sativa Lindl.
    • Ananas sativus Schult. & Schult.f.
    • Ananas serotinus Mill.
    • Ananas viridis Mill.
    • Ananassa ananas (L.) H.Karst.
    • Ananassa debilis Lindl.
    • Ananassa monstrosa Carrière
    • Ananassa porteana (Veitch ex K.Koch) Carrière
    • Ananassa sativa (Schult. & Schult.f.) Lindl. ex Beer
    • Bromelia ananas L.
    • Bromelia ananas Willd.
    • Bromelia communis Lam.
    • Bromelia comosa L.
    • Bromelia edulis Salisb. nom. illeg.
    • Bromelia mai-pouri Perrier
    • Bromelia pigna Perrier
    • Bromelia rubra Schult. & Schult.f.
    • Bromelia violacea Schult. & Schult.f.
    • Bromelia viridis (Mill.) Schult. & Schult.f.
    • Distiacanthus communis (Lam.) Rojas Acosta

The pineapple[2] (Ananas comosus) is a tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae.[3]

The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been cultivated for many centuries.[4] The introduction of the pineapple plant to Europe in the 17th century made it a significant cultural icon of luxury.[5] Since the 1820s, pineapple has been commercially grown in greenhouses and many tropical plantations. The fruit, particularly its juice, has diverse uses in cuisines and desserts.

Pineapples grow as a small shrub; the individual flowers of the unpollinated plant fuse to form a multiple fruit. The plant normally propagates from the offset produced at the top of the fruit[2] or from a side shoot, and typically matures within a year.[6]

  1. ^ "The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species". Archived from the original on 23 July 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  2. ^ a b Morton JF (1987). "Pineapple, Ananas comosus". In: Fruits of Warm Climates, New Crop Resource Online Program, Center for New Crops and Plant Products, Purdue University. pp. 18–28. Retrieved 2 August 2025.
  3. ^ Coppens d'Eeckenbrugge G, Leal F (2003). "Chapter 2: Morphology, Anatomy, and Taxonomy". In Bartholomew DP, Paull RE, Rohrbach KG (eds.). The Pineapple: Botany, Production, and Uses. Wallingford, UK: CABI Publishing. p. 21. ISBN 978-0-85199-503-8.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference grant was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference smithsonian was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Ananas comosus, pineapple". North Carolina State University Extension; Plant Toolbox. 2025. Retrieved 2 August 2025.