Pitcairnioideae is a subfamily of the bromeliad family, Bromeliaceae. 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 biological cladistics for the classification of organisms, monophyly is the condition of a taxonomic grouping being a clade – that is, a grouping of organisms which meets these criteria: # the grouping contains its own most recent co ...

, and the subfamily was more narrowly circumscribed. , 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 Mountain Range (; ) are the List of longest mountain chains on Earth, longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range ...

to the coast of

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

, with one genus ('' Fosterella'') found northwards to

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

Description

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

petal Petals are modified leaves that form an inner whorl surrounding the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly coloured or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corol ...

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 and Tillandsioideae. 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 circumscribed 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 Bromeliaceae. The genus is named for Charles Brewer-Carías, Venezuelan explorer and naturalist. Some authorities treat ''Brewcaria'' as a synonym of '' Navia''. It contains 6 known species, all ...

'' L.B.Sm., Steyerm. & H.Rob. (may be included in ''Navia'') → Navioideae * '' Brocchinia'' Schult.f. ex Schult. & Schult.f. → Brocchinioideae (the only genus) * '' Connellia'' N.E.Br. → Lindmanioideae * '' Cottendorfia'' Schult.f. → Navioideae * '' Hechtia'' Klotzsch → Hechtioideae (only genus) * '' Lindmania'' Mez → Lindmanioideae * '' Navia'' Schult. & Schult.f. → Navioideae * '' Puya'' Molina → Puyoideae (the only genus) * '' Sequencia'' (L.B.Sm.) Givnish → Navioideae * '' Steyerbromelia'' L.B.Sm. → Navioideae

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 and the county seat of Sarasota County, Florida, United States. It is located in Southwest Florida, the southern end of the Tampa Bay area, and north of Fort Myers, Florida, Fort Myers and Punta Gorda, Florida, Punta Gord ...

, USA. Published b
The Bromeliad Society International
{{Authority control Commelinid subfamilies