ZINGIBERIDAE

subclass of monocotyledonous flowering plants. Its members are herbaceous and may be either terrestrial or epiphytic (i.e., supported by other plants and having aerial roots exposed to the humid atmosphere). The subclass contains two orders, Zingiberales and Bromeliales, the former divided into eight families, and the latter into only a single family (Bromeliaceae). The flowers of plants in the subclass are perfect (i.e., both stamens and pistils are present in the same flower), and they are sometimes reduced to functionally unisexual flowers. The flower parts are organized in multiples of three and are adapted to being pollinated by insects or, less commonly, by the wind. The petals are usually distinct, and the six stamens are arranged into two series of three each, with some stamens reduced to petaloid staminoids.