Bromeliaceae

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Bromeliaceae A distinctive family of monocotyledons (Monocotyledoneae) with no close relatives, most of which are herbs and epiphytes, a few being terrestrial. Most have leaves crowded together with an amplexicaul (see STIPULE) base forming a tank from which water is absorbed. The inflorescence is terminal, sometimes with showy bracts. The flowers are regular and trimerous. The fruit is a berry or capsule. There are 46 genera, with about 2110 species, entirely confined to the New World, except for one in W. Africa, and mostly tropical.