TROPICAL EPIPHYTES. 



193 



with these very interesting forests. A careful study of them 

 has never been made, and they will present problems to the 

 scientists for many generations to come. To the casual ob- 

 server, the most striking features of these forests are the epi- 

 phytes which festoon the trees everywhere. The predominating 

 plants among these epiphytes belong to the families Bomeliaceae 



Fig. 28. '■ Wild Pines " and other Epiphytes. 



and Orchidaceae. To the family Bromeliaceae belong the so- 

 called Florida moss, Tillaiidsia usncoides, and also that luscious 

 fruit of the tropics, the pineapple. Many of these tropical epi- 

 phytes resemble miniature pineapple plants perched upon th€ 

 branches of the trees. The Orchidacese is one of the most inter- 

 esting families of plants, since it includes some of the most inter- 



