Taxonomy (systematics) is the science of classifying plants and animals by evaluating shared features and organizing them into a hierarchy based on these relationships. The basic taxonomic units or taxa (singular: taxon) are species. Every species is given an internationally recognized two part name (binomial) by which it is known. The first part of this name is called the Genus and the second part the Species. More closely related plants within the family, which share some general/generic features, are grouped in the same genus thus the genus/species describe the taxon generically/specifically. Unlike common names which can vary from region to region, a species' binomial name is unique and precise. The name is usually derived from Latin or Greek (or a modern word that has been Latinized). Genus names are always capitalized and species names always start with a lower case letter. Species names often are descriptive (xanthocalyx - with yellow flowers), indicate a place of origin (brasiliensis - from Brasil), or are honorific, named after the collector or other person worthy of the the honor of being immortalized in the taxonomic nomenclature (fosteriana - in honor of Mulford Foster).

A brief Genera Etymology is available describing the sources of the names of the currently recognized bromeliad genera.

Family: Bromeliaceae

Bromeliads belong to the family Bromeliaceae and are members of the Class Liliopsida (monocots). Monocots comprise one quarter of all flowering plants and include some of the largest and most well known groups of plants: orchids, palms, grasses. The family Bromeliaceae is divided into three subfamilies: Pitcairnioideae, Bromelioideae and Tillandsioideae.

Pitcairnioideae	This subfamily contains the most ancestral bromeliads and many resemble the grass family from which they evolved. Almost all are terrestrial and rely on an extensive root system for their moisture and nutrients. They are generally spiny leaved and dry capsules with small wingless seeds.
Bromelioideae	This subfamily is the most diverse containing the greatest number of genera (but the least number of species). Most species in this subfamily are epiphytic and characterized by a rosette-like form many forming a water holding tank. They generally have spiny leaves and berry like fruits containing wet seeds which are often distributed by birds and animals who consume the fruits.
Tillandsioideae	This subfamily contains very few genera but includes the most number of species. Most of the members of this subfamily are epiphytes. All have spineless leaves and their fruit is a dry capsule containing winged seeds which are usually dispersal by breezes. The feathery plumes also help the seed to adhere to a suitable epiphytic surface for germination. This subfamily is probably the most evolved with special adaptations for survival in very dry (xeric) conditions.

Genera by Subfamily

Taxonomists continue to work on the bromeliad family, describing new species (and sometimes reducing an existing species to synonymy with another species). Occasionally a new genus will be described or a subgenus will be elevated to the rank of genus and other times an entire genus will disappear, incorporated into another genus. Any taxonomic listing must be viewed as the current state of the art in an ongoing process of refinement. The listing shown here follows LUTHER & SIEFF (1998) but is by no means final (much work needs to be done in the genera Aechmea, Guzmania, Tillandsia and others). Additional information about bromeliad genera can be found in AN ANNOTATED CATALOG OF THE GENERIC NAMES OF THE BROMELIACEAE by Jason R. Grant.