Bromeliaceae
Bromeliaceae Juss. (1789)
Exclusively American monocot family (except one African species), comprising over 3,500 species distributed from the southeastern United States to southern Chile. Includes epiphytic, terrestrial, and rupicolous plants adapted to extreme conditions, from tropical rainforests to deserts and high-altitude páramos. Characterized by rosettes with modified leaves forming cisterns for water and nutrient collection.
Abromeitiella
Abromeitiella
Genus of terrestrial and rupicolous bromeliads forming dense cushions of tiny rosettes. Endemic to the Andes of Bolivia and Argentina, it grows on rocky outcrops and stony slopes between 2,500 and 4,200 m a.s.l. Its rigid, spiny leaves form compact cushions that can reach several meters in diameter over time. Phylogenetically close to Deuterocohnia, with which it shares the subfamily Pitcairnioideae.