Bromeliaceae
Pineapple, a bromeliad
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Liliopsida Order: Poales Family: Bromeliaceae Juss.
Subfamiles
Bromelioideae Pitcairnioideae Tillandsioideae

Bromeliaceae (the bromeliads) is a family of monocot flowering plants of around 2,400 species native mainly to the tropical Americas, with a few species found in the American subtropics and one in tropical west Africa. Pineapple ( Ananas comosus) is the common name for an edible Tropical Plant and also its Fruit It is native to the southern part of Brazil Plants are living Organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. The flowering plants or angiosperms ( Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta) are the most widespread group Liliopsida is a Botanical name for the class containing the family Liliaceae (or Lily Family Poales is an order of Flowering plants in the Monocotyledons and includes families of plants such as the grasses, Bromeliads, Antoine Laurent de Jussieu ( April 12, 1748 - September 17, 1836) was a French Botanist, notable as the first to propose Bromelioideae is a subfamily of the bromeliads ( Bromeliaceae) Piticairnioidaeae is the terrestrial subfamily of the bromeliads ( Bromeliaceae) Tillandsioideae is a subfamily of plants in the bromeliad family Bromeliaceae. In Biological classification, family ( Latin Monocotyledons or monocots are one of two major groups of Flowering plants (angiosperms that are traditionally recognised the other being Dicotyledons The flowering plants or angiosperms ( Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta) are the most widespread group The Tropics are centered on the Equator and limited in Latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately 23°26' (23 The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America The subtropics are the zones of the Earth immediately north and south of the tropic zone which is bounded by the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of West Africa or Western Africa is the Westernmost Region of the African Continent. ^[1] The family includes both epiphytes, such as Spanish moss Tillandsia usneoides, and terrestrial species, such as the pineapple Ananas comosus. An epiphyte is an organism that grows upon or attaches to a living plant Spanish moss ( Tillandsia usneoides) closely resembles its namesake ( Usnea, or beard lichen A terrestrial plant is one that grows on land Other types of plants are aquatic (living in water Epiphytic (living on trees but not Parasitic) Pineapple ( Ananas comosus) is the common name for an edible Tropical Plant and also its Fruit It is native to the southern part of Brazil Many bromeliads are able to store water in a "tank" formed by their tightly-overlapping leaf bases. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. In Botany, a leaf is an above-ground Plant organ specialized for Photosynthesis. However, the family is diverse enough to include the tank bromeliads, grey-leaved epiphytic Tillandsia species which gather water only from leaf structures called trichomes, and a large number of desert-dwelling succulents. The Plant genus Tillandsia, a member of the Bromeliad family (Bromeliaceae is found in the Deserts Forests and Mountains Trichomes, from the Greek meaning "growth of Hair " are fine outgrowths or appendages on Plants and certain Protists These are of diverse Succulent plants, also known as succulents or fat plants, are Water -retaining Plants adapted to Arid climate or Soil conditions

The largest bromeliad is Puya raimondii, which reaches 3–4 m tall in vegetative growth with a flower spike 9–10 m tall, and the smallest is probably Spanish moss. Puya Raimondi ( Puya raimondii) is an endemic species of the Altoandina zone of Peru and Bolivia, found at an altitude of 3200 - 4800 Spanish moss ( Tillandsia usneoides) closely resembles its namesake ( Usnea, or beard lichen

History

Bromeliads are one of the more recent plant groups to have emerged, presumed to have evolved at the close of the Cretaceous, over 65 million years ago. The Cretaceous (kriːˈteɪʃəs, usually abbreviated 'K' for its German translation "Kreide" is a geologic period and system, reaching from the end of Fossilized bromeliads have been dated back to roughly 30 million years ago. The greatest number of primitive species reside in the Andean highlands of South America suggesting a beginning there. The Andes form the world's longest exposed Mountain range. They lie as a continuous chain of highland along the western coast of South America. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a The west African species Pitcairnia feliciana is the only bromeliad not endemic to the Americas, and is thought to have reached Africa via long-distance dispersal approximately 12 million years ago^[2]. West Africa or Western Africa is the Westernmost Region of the African Continent. Pitcairnia is a genus of the botanical family Bromeliaceae, subfamily Pitcairnioideae.

Humans have been using bromeliads for thousands of years. Human beings, humans or man (Origin 1590–1600 L homō man OL hemō the earthly one (see Humus The Incas, Aztecs, Maya and others used them extensively for food, protection, fiber and ceremony, just as they are still used today. Aztec is a term used to refer to certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who achieved political The Maya civilization is a Mesoamerican Civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the Pre-Columbian Americas European interest began when Spanish conquistadors returned with pineapple, which became so popular as an exotic food that the image of the pineapple was quickly adapted into European art and sculpture. The Spanish Empire (Imperio Español was one of the largest Empires in history and one of the first Global empires In the 15th and 16th centuries This article is about the Spanish explorer soldiers of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuriesfor other uses see Conquistador (disambiguation A Conquistador Pineapple ( Ananas comosus) is the common name for an edible Tropical Plant and also its Fruit It is native to the southern part of Brazil In 1776, the species Guzmania lingulata was introduced to Europe, causing a sensation among gardeners unfamiliar to such a plant. Year 1776 ( MDCCLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Guzmania lingulata or Scarlet Star is a Species of Flowering plant in the Bromeliad family subfamily Tillandsioideae In 1828, Aechmea fasciata was brought to Europe, followed by Vriesea splendens in 1840. The year 1828 ( MDCCCXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap Aechmea fasciata ( Silver-Vase, Urn Plant) is a bromeliad native to Brazil. Vriesea splendens or Flaming Sword is a Species of Flowering plant in the Bromeliad family subfamily Tillandsioideae Year 1840 ( MDCCCXL) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year These transplants were successful enough that they are still among the most widely grown bromeliad varieties.

In the 1800s breeders in Belgium, France and the Netherlands started hybridizing plants for wholesale trade. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Many exotic varieties were produced up until the First World War which halted breeding programs and led to the loss of some species. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The plants experienced a resurgence of popularity after World War II. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Since then, Dutch, Belgian and North American nurseries have largely expanded bromeliad production. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those

Description

Bromeliads are a widely varied group of organisms, adapted to a number of climates. Foliage takes many different shapes, from needle thin to broad and flat, symmetrical to irregular, spiky and soft. The foliage, which usually grows in a rosette, is the most widely patterned and colored of any plant in the world. In botany a rosette is a circular arrangement of leaves with all the leaves at a single height Leaf colors range from maroon, through various shades of green, to gold, with many colors in between. Many varieties have variegated leaves with red, yellow, white and cream variegations. Others may be spotted with purple, red, or cream, while others have different colors on the tops and bottoms of the leaves.

The inflorescence produced by bromeliads are also regarded as considerably more diverse than any other plant family. An inflorescence is a group or cluster of Flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main Branch or a complicated arrangement of branches Some flower spikes may reach 10 meters tall while others only measure 2–3 mm across. Upright stalks may be branched or simple with spikes retaining their color from two weeks up to twelve months, depending on species. In some species the flower remains unseen, growing deep in the vase of the plants.

Root systems vary according to plant type. Terrestrial bromeliad species have complex root systems which gather water and nutrients while epiphytic bromeliads only grow hard, wiry roots to attach themselves to trees and rocks. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. An epiphyte is an organism that grows upon or attaches to a living plant

Some bromeliads are faintly scented while others are heavily perfumed. Blooms from the species Tillandsia cyanea resemble the smell of clove spice. Tillandsia cyanea or Pink Quill is a Species of Flowering plant in the Bromeliad family subfamily Tillandsioideae

One study found 175,000 bromeliads per hectare (2. 5 acres) in one forest; that many bromeliads can sequester 50,000 liters (more than 13,000 gallons) of water. ^[3]

A wide variety of organisms take advantage of the pools of water trapped by bromeliads. A study of 209 plants from the Ecuadorian lowlands identified 11,219 animals, representing more than 300 distinct species, many found only on bromeliads; for instance, some species of ostracods, small salamanders approximately 2. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Ecuador topics. Ostracoda is a class of the Crustacea, sometimes known as the seed shrimp because of their appearance Salamander (orig from Persian: sām, "fire" and andarūn, "within" is the common name for a group of approximately 500 Species 5 centimeters (1 inch) in length, tree frogs, and even other species of bromeliads. A tree frog or tree toad is any Frog that spends a major portion of its lifespan in an Arboreal state Jamaican bromeliads are home to Metopaulias depressus, a reddish-brown crab 2 centimeters (three quarters of an inch) across, which has evolved social behavior to protect its young from predation by Diceratobasis macrogaster, a species of damselfly whose larvae live in bromeliads. Jamaica (ˈdʒəˈmeɪkə} is an Island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length and as much as in width situated in the Caribbean Sea. Metopaulias is a genus of fully terrestrial Land crabs which do not require to go back to the sea to spawn Crabs are decapod Crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" (βραχύ / brachy UserPolbot. --> Diceratobasis macrogaster is a species of Damselfly in family Coenagrionidae. Insecta {Taxobox | name = Damselflies| regnum = Animalia | phylum = Arthropoda | classis | ordo = Odonata | subordo = Zygoptera | subordo_authority A larva ( Latin; plural larvae) is a juvenile form of Animal with indirect development, undergoing Metamorphosis (for example ^[3]

Distribution

Plants in the Bromeliaceae family are widely represented in their natural climates across the Americas. They can be found at altitudes from sea level to 4200 meters, from rainforests to deserts. Approximately half the species are epiphytes, some are lithophytes, and some are terrestrial. An epiphyte is an organism that grows upon or attaches to a living plant Lithophytes are a type of Plant that grows in or on rocks. Lithophytes feed off Moss, nutrients in rain water litter and even their own dead tissue Accordingly, these plants can be found in the Andean highlands, from northern Chile to Colombia, in the Peruvian coastal deserts, in the cloud forest regions of South and Central America, and in the tropical climate region of Florida. The Andes form the world's longest exposed Mountain range. They lie as a continuous chain of highland along the western coast of South America. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. A cloud forest, also called a fog forest, is a generally Tropical or Subtropical evergreen Montane moist forest characterized by a Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the

Genera

Images of bromeliads

Tillandsia usneoides hanging from branches	The flower of a Billbergia sp. Ursulaea (named for Ursula Baensch plant breeder and co-author of ‘Blooming Bromeliads’ is a genus of the botanical family Bromeliaceae	Puya berteroniana	Flower close-up
Still another photo of a bromeliad

Cultivation and uses

Only one bromeliad, the pineapple Ananas comosus, is a commercially important food crop. Pineapple ( Ananas comosus) is the common name for an edible Tropical Plant and also its Fruit It is native to the southern part of Brazil Many other bromeliads are popular ornamental plants, grown as both garden and house plants. Ornamental plants are typically grown in the flower Garden or as House plants Most commonly they are grown for the display of their Flowers Other common There are also artificial bromeliads, which can be used as an alternative to the real ones for purposes of decorating.

Notes

External links

• Palm Trees, Small Palms, Cycads, Bromeliads & Tropical PlantsSite with 1000's of large, high quality photos of Bromeliads and associated flora. Includes information on habitat and cultivation.
• LUTHER, H. E. (2002) An Alphabetical List of Bromeliad Binomials The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Sarasota, Florida, USA. Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the state of Florida in the United States. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Published by The Bromeliad Society International.
• Bromeliaceae in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards). The families of flowering plants: descriptions, illustrations, identification, information retrieval. Published by Delta-intkey (2002-06-18)
• The Bromeliad Society International
• Bromeliad Care Information
• Puya raimondii photos
• The World Botanical Gardens
• Bromeliad/Tillandsia specialists