a family of tropical American plants of order Xyridales including several (as the pineapple) of economic importance

Bromeliaceae (the bromeliads) is a large family of flowering plants native to the tropical and warm temperate New World. The family includes both epiphytes, such as Spanish moss Tillandsia usneoides, and ground plants, such as the Pineapple Ananas comosus. Christopher Columbus was the first European to come into contact with the pineapple and took it back to Europe after his first voyage.