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Bromeliaceae is a great all-American family of plants 
named (in 1789) to honor Olaf Bromel, a Swedish botanist. Because 
the pineapple is a member of this family it has become known as 
the "pineapple" family. 
There is something utterly fascinating about bromeliads, 
but few people in this country are familiar with this decorative 
group of plants which has so few competitors. They can be an 
outstanding adornment to the home or warn climate garden. In 
Europe, for a hundred years, bromeliads have been classed among 
their finest and most desirable decorative plants. 
There are two distinctive types of bromeliads, terrestrial 
and epiphytic. Species of Dyckia, Hechtia, Encholirium, Bromelia, 
plant form (with many variations) to the pineapple plant. They 
require medium sandy soil with small amounts of dairy manure; they 
feed directly through their roots although the basal part of the 
leaves absorbs certain foods from the air. Moderate watering suffi- 
ces their thirst. These terrestial bromeliads have a versatility all 
all their own and are quite an addition to the sub-tropical rock 
garden as well as to the dish garden.’ 
Bromeliads that are the most interesting and adaptable as 
house plants are the epiphytes (air plants) which are appealingly 
versatile in leaf and flower color, in the manner in which they 
bloom, how they hold their water, how they propgate; the diversity 
is endless! 
Within the epiphytic group are two distinct types of plants, 
those that hold their water in tiny microscopic scales (the fuzz) 
on the leaves, noticeable mostly in the Tillandsias. The other 
group have more glaborous leaves, and are described as a leafy 
rosette with leaves arranged in a whorled mass of a series of as- 
cending troughed leaves, so tight-fitting that water is naturally 
held at the base of each leaf. They have been called "nest" or 
"basket" plants. One of the genera, Nidularium, means nest because 
these epiphytic plants constantly hold water between their leaves, 
it is possible to use them as a living flower vase, placing one or 
two small stemmed cut flowers between each leaf. : 
except those listed otherwise, and most of them I have personally 
collected and propagated. j 
With each shipment of epiphytic bromeliads, full instructions 
and proper potting medium are included. We prefer that you send 
check or money order; no C.O.D. orders; we send plants by American 
Express with express charges collect. Add 20% to orders less than 
$3.00 for prepaid parcel post. We prefer that you do not order be- 
tween dates of Dec. 5th and April lst as the Christmas rush and the 
cold northern winter on these tropical plants in transit means they 
may not arrive safely. Exceptions can be made to southern states. 
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