Bromeliaceae

Bromeliaceae
Pineaiple, a bromeliad
Scientific classification
Kinrick:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Monocots
(unranked):	Commelinids
Order:	Poales
Faimily:	Bromeliaceae Juss.[1]
Subfaimiles
Bromelioideae Pitcairnioideae Tillandsioideae

The Bromeliaceae (the bromeliads) are a faimily o monocot flouerin plants o aroond 3,170 species native mainly tae the tropical Americas, wi a few species foond in the American subtropics an ane in tropical wast Africae, Pitcairnia feliciana.^[2] Thay are amang the basal faimilies within the Poales an are unique acause thay are the anly faimily within the order that haes septal nectaries an inferior ovaries.^[3] These inferior ovaries characterize the Bromelioideae, a subfaimily o the Bromeliaceae.^[4] The faimily includes baith epiphytes, such as Spainyie fog (Tillandsia usneoides), an terrestrial species, such as the pineapple (Ananas comosus). Mony bromeliads are able tae store watter in a structure furmed bi thair tichtly-owerlappin leaf bases. However, the faimily is diverse enough tae include the tank bromeliads, grey-leaved epiphyte Tillandsia species that gather watter only frae leaf structures cried trichomes, an a lairge nummer o desert-dwellin succulents.

The lairgest bromeliad is Puya raimondii, which reaches 3–4 m taw in vegetative growth wi a flouer spike 9–10 m tall, an the smawest is Spainyie moss.