Pitcairnioideae is a subfamily of the bromeliad family,

Bromeliaceae The Bromeliaceae (the bromeliads) are a family of monocot Monocotyledons (), commonly referred to as monocots, (Lilianae ''sensu'' Chase & Reveal) are grass and grass-like flowering plants (angiosperms), the seeds of which typically contain o ...

. Traditionally, it was a large subfamily, comprising all those species with winged or more rarely naked seeds.

Molecular phylogenetic Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

studies showed that traditional Pitcairnioideae was not

monophyletic In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic gro ...

, and the subfamily was more narrowly

circumscribed In geometry, the circumscribed circle or circumcircle of a polygon is a circle that passes through all the vertices of the polygon. The center of this circle is called the circumcenter and its radius is called the circumradius. Not every polyg ...

. , the Encyclopaedia of Bromeliads placed five genera in the subfamily. Members of the subfamily are found from the

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

to the coast of

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

, with one genus (''

Fosterella ''Fosterella'' is a genus of plants in the family Bromeliaceae, subfamily Pitcairnioideae. It contains 31 recognized species, 30 native to central and western South America, one to Mesoamerica Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultura ...

'') found northwards to

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

Description

Species in the subfamily Pitcairnioideae have fruits in the form of capsules with winged seeds. The

petal Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...

s are not joined together when the flowers open, and are usually large and conspicuous.

Taxonomy

Traditionally, the family Bromeliaceae was divided into three subfamilies based on the structure of the seeds and fruit, with Pitcairnioideae comprising all those with winged or rarely naked seeds. The other subfamilies were

Bromelioideae Bromelioideae is a subfamily of the bromeliads ( Bromeliaceae). This subfamily is the most diverse, represented by the greatest number of genera with about 40. Most of the plants in this group are epiphytes, though some have evolved in, or will a ...

and

Tillandsioideae Tillandsioideae is a subfamily of plants in the bromeliad family Bromeliaceae. This subfamily contains the greatest number of species (about 1,400). Most are epiphytic or lithophytic, growing in trees or on rocks where they absorb water and nutr ...

. A

molecular phylogenetic Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

study in 2007 showed that traditional Pitcairnioideae was not

, with Tillandsioideae embedded within it. The original broadly defined subfamily was divided it into six, including a more narrowly

Pitcairnioideae. The division was confirmed in a larger 2011 study, and is accepted by the Encyclopaedia of Bromeliads, which includes five genera in Pitcairnioideae.

Genera

, the Encyclopaedia of Bromeliads placed five genera in the subfamily:

Former genera

Other genera that were placed in Pitcairnioideae when it was broadly defined are now put into different subfamilies. *''

Brewcaria ''Brewcaria'' is a genus of plants in the family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintai ...

L.B.Sm. Lyman Bradford Smith (September 11, 1904 – May 4, 1997) was an American botanist. Smith was born in Winchester, Massachusetts. He studied botany during the 1920s at Harvard University and received his PhD from Harvard in 1930. Between 1928 a ...

, Steyerm. & H.Rob. (may be included in ''Navia'') →

Navioideae Navioideae is a subfamily of the bromeliad family, Bromeliaceae. It contains four or five genera, formerly placed in a more broadly defined subfamily Pitcairnioideae. Genera , the Encyclopaedia of Bromeliads accepted five genera, while Plants of ...

*''

Brocchinia ''Brocchinia'' is a genus of the botanical family Bromeliaceae, and is the sole genus of the subfamily Brocchinioideae, containing 20 species. The genus is named for Giovanni Battista Brocchi, Italian naturalist (1772–1826). ''Brocchinia'' sp ...

Schult.f. Julius Hermann Schultes (4 February 1804 in Vienna – 1 September 1840 in Munich) was an Austrian botanist from Vienna. He co-authored volume 7 of the Roemer & Schultes edition of the ''Systema Vegetabilium'' with his father Josef August S ...

Schult. Josef (Joseph) August Schultes (15 April 1773 in Vienna – 21 April 1831 in Landshut) was an Austrian botanist and professor from Vienna. Together with Johann Jacob Roemer (1763–1819), he published the 16th edition of Linnaeus' ''Systema ...

& Schult.f. → Brocchinioideae (the only genus) *''

Connellia ''Connellia'' is a genus of plants in the family Bromeliaceae. The genus name is for Frederick Vavasour McConnell, English ornithologist and biologist (1868-1914). There are 6 known species, all native to the Guyana Highlands of Guyana and Vene ...

N.E.Br. Nicholas Edward Brown (11 July 1849 in Redhill, Surrey – 25 November 1934 in Kew Gardens, London) was an English plant taxonomist and authority on succulents. He was also an authority on several families of plants, including Asclepiadacea ...

→

Lindmanioideae Lindmanioideae is a subfamily of the bromeliad family, Bromeliaceae. It contains two genera, which were formerly placed in a more broadly defined subfamily Pitcairnioideae Pitcairnioideae is a subfamily of the bromeliad family, Bromeliaceae. ...

*''

Cottendorfia ''Cottendorfia'' is a genus of plants in the family Bromeliaceae. The genus name is for Johann Georg Freiherr Cotta von Cottendorf, German patron of the sciences (1796-1863). There is only one known species, ''Cottendorfia florida'', endemic t ...

'' Schult.f. →

*''

Hechtia ''Hechtia'' is a genus of plants in the family Bromeliaceae, and is the sole genus of the subfamily Hechtioideae, containing 75 species. Its species are native to Mexico, Central America, and Texas. The genus is named for Julius Gottfried Conr ...

Klotzsch Johann Friedrich Klotzsch (9 June 1805 – 5 November 1860) was a German pharmacist and botanist. His principal work was in the field of mycology, with the study and description of many species of mushroom. Klotzsch was born in Wittenberg. Origin ...

→ Hechtioideae (only genus) *'' Lindmania'' Mez →

*'' Navia'' Schult. & Schult.f. →

*''

Puya Puya may refer to: * ''Puya'' (plant), in the family Bromeliaceae * Puya (river), in Russia * Puya, a variety of Guajillo chili * ''Puya'' (Meitei texts), traditional or mythological texts of the Meetei people * ''Culoepuya'' or ''Culo'e Puya'', V ...

'' Molina → Puyoideae (the only genus) *''

Sequencia ''Sequencia'' is a monotypic genus of plants in the family Bromeliaceae. The sole species is ''Sequencia serrata'' ( originally ''Brocchinia serrata''), endemic to the Vaupés region of Colombia. Formerly in the genus ''Brocchinia'', the ...

'' (L.B.Sm.) Givnish →

*''

Steyerbromelia ''Steyerbromelia'' (named after Julian A. Steyermark, an American plant collector, author, and editor) is a genus of plants in the family Bromeliaceae, subfamily Navioideae. All the known species in the genus are endemic to southern Venezuela ...

'' L.B.Sm. →

Distribution

The subfamily is thought to have arisen in the northern

, spreading southwards and then eastwards into the Brazilian Shield and the easternmost part of

(the "horn of Brazil"). ''Fosterella'' is also found in Mexico and Central America.

References

*http://www.ecocam.com/species/Bromeliaceae.html *http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/monocots/bromeliflorae.html
BSI - Bromeliad Info - Taxonomy
*LUTHER, H. E. (2008
An Alphabetical List of Bromeliad Binomials, Eleventh EditionThe Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

Sarasota, Florida Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The city is located in the sout ...

, USA. Published b
The Bromeliad Society International
{{Taxonbar, from=Q137791 Commelinid subfamilies