[GrowRR] Are Bromeliads Orchidaceous Plants?

[derek butcher]

Rufino
Nearly there. Bromeliales disappeared in 2003 when it was decided in Bot. 
Journ. Linnean Soc. 141. 399-436. 2003 that Bromeliads were really grasses 
- heaven forbid! We are officially Poales!!
Uncle Derek

At 11:10 PM 9/07/2006, you wrote:
>Hello Steve,
>
>Plants that grow on other plants are described as "epiphytic." I am
>unaware of any dictionary or thesaurus that uses the word "orchidaceous"
>to describe epiphytic plants in general. Perhaps if you provided a
>reference(s) to such usage, it might clarify things. Nor am I aware of a
>reference in which bromeliads are described as "orchidaceous." Also, I
>am not sure why anyone would use the word "orchidaceous" to describe
>epiphytic plants when we already have the word "epiphyte" to describe
>epiphytic plants. Additionally, 30% of all orchids (that's about 1 out
>of every 3) are terrestrial, non-epiphytic plants so "orchidaceous"
>would be a poor choice to use as a word that meant "epiphytic plant."
>And even if "orchidaceous" meant "epiphytic plant," which it doesn't, it
>could not be applied to the vast number of bromeliads, including nearly
>all of the mid-sized and large bromeliads used as garden landscape
>plants, that are terrestrial plants and not epiphytes. Finally, there is
>a world-class institution in Sarasota, Florida, dedicated to the
>scientific study of epiphytic plants, the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens,
>and the staff uses the word "epiphyte" to describe epiphytic
>plants--they do not use the word "orchidaceous" for this purpose.
>
>Perhaps there is confusion because some dictionaries say that
>"orchidaceous" is an adjective with the meaning "resembling an orchid."
>However, to use the term "orchidaceous" to mean "epiphytic" when 30% of
>all orchids are terrestrial is simply an invitation to ambiguity and
>confusion. Indeed, calling bromeliads "orchidaceous" because some
>bromeliads happen to be epiphytic is about as confusing as calling a
>mouse "feline" because it happened to be particularly agile. It would be
>far less confusing to simply say that  the mouse is "very agile."
>Likewise, it would be far less confusing to simply call an epiphytic
>plant an "epiphyte" than to call it an "orchidaceous plant."
>
>Your post was an interesting one but it does show some confusion
>regarding plant taxonomy. You state that bromeliads are in the family
>Bromeliaceae and "orchids are in the order of Orchidaceae." The latter
>is incorrect, and orchids are in the family Orchidaceae. Note that
>suffixes in plant taxonomy are, with very few exceptions, standardized
>and all ranks that end in "aceae" refer to a family. Bromeliads and
>orchids are not at all very closely related and the two families belong
>to quite different and very distinct orders. Orchids are in the order
>Asparagales and, as such, are more closely related to plants such as
>hyacinths and asparagus than they are to bromeliads, which belong to a
>completely different order, the Bromeliales.
>
>Kind regards,
>Rufino
>Palm Beach County, Florida
>
>At 09:31 AM 8/07/2006, you wrote:
>
> >> Hello,
> >>
> >> This is my first post and I have a question to the taxanomists on the
> >> list or anybody who can help!  My question is, are bromeliads
> >> orchidaceous plants? I know bromeliads are in the family of
> >> Bromeliaceae and orchids are in the order of Orchidaceae but the word
> >> "orchidaceous" describes epiphytic plants, so does that mean all
> >> epiphytic plants are orchidaceous, including bromeliads?
> >>
> >> Thanks,
> >>
> >> Steve
> >
>
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