BROMELIALES

Epiphyte bromeliads (Vriesea). order of monocotyledonous flowering plants, a division of the subclass Zingiberidae. Additional reading David H. Benzing, The Biology of the Bromeliads (1980), a good, general introduction to the Bromeliaceae addressing nearly every aspect of bromeliad biology; Werner Rauh, Bromeliads for Home, Garden, and Greenhouse (1979; originally published in German, 2 vol., 197073), with a good introduction to the general morphology of bromeliads, keys for identification, and short descriptions of genera and many species, with numerous illustrations; J.L. Collins, The Pineapple: Botany, Cultivation, and Utilization (1960), a comprehensive and interesting treatment; Lyman B. Smith and Robert Jack Downs, Pitcairnioideae (Bromeliaceae) (1974), Tillandsioideae (Bromeliaceae) (1977), and Bromelioideae (Bromeliaceae) (1979), the only complete, modern taxonomic treatment for the Bromeliaceae, with keys to genera and species, complete technical descriptions, distribution maps, and drawings; Paul T. Isley III, Tillandsia: The World's Most Unusual Air Plants (1987), dealing specifically with the genus Tillandsia, geared toward the hobbyist, but with photographs providing examples of the variations found in the family; Victoria Padilla, Bromeliads (1973, reissued 1986).