Editing Bromeliaceae (section)

==Cultivation and uses==
[[File:Bromeliaceae mixed collection.jpg|thumb|Bromeliaceae mixed cultivated collection]]
Humans have been using bromeliads for thousands of years. The [[Incas]], [[Aztecs]], [[Maya civilization|Maya]] and others used them for food, protection, fiber and ceremony, just as they are still used today. European interest began when Spanish conquistadors returned with [[pineapple]], which became so popular as an exotic food that the image of the pineapple was adapted into European art and sculpture. In 1776, the species ''[[Guzmania lingulata]]'' was introduced to Europe, causing a sensation among gardeners unfamiliar with such a plant. In 1828, ''[[Aechmea fasciata]]'' was brought to Europe, followed by ''[[Vriesea splendens]]'' in 1840. These transplants were so successful, they are still among the most widely grown bromeliad varieties.

In the 19th century, breeders in Belgium, France and the Netherlands started [[Hybrid (biology)#Hybrid plants|hybridizing]] plants for wholesale trade. Many exotic varieties were produced until World War I, which halted breeding programs and led to the loss of some species. The plants experienced a resurgence of popularity after World War II. Since then, [[Netherlands|Dutch]], [[Belgium|Belgian]] and North American nurseries have greatly expanded bromeliad production.

Only one bromeliad, the pineapple (''Ananas comosus''), is a commercially important food crop. [[Bromelain]], a common ingredient in meat tenderizer, is extracted from pineapple stems. Many other bromeliads are popular [[ornamental plant]]s, grown as both garden and [[houseplant]]s.

Bromeliads are important food plants for many peoples. For example, the [[Pima people|Pima]] of Mexico occasionally consume flowers of ''[[Tillandsia erubescens]]'' and ''[[Tillandsia recurvata|T. recurvata]]'' due to their high sugar content; in Argentina and Bolivia, the shoot apices of ''[[Tillandsia rubella|T. rubella]]'' and ''[[Tillandsia maxima|T. maxima]]'' are consumed; in Venezuela, indigenous coastal tribes eat a sour-tasting but sweet-smelling berry, known as 'Maya', of ''[[Bromelia chrysantha]]'' as a fruit or in [[fermented beverage]]s; in Chile, the sweet fruit of ''[[Greigia sphacelata]],'' known as 'chupones', is consumed raw.<ref name = bromeliads2011polibotanica/>

===Collectors===
[[Édouard André]] was a French collector/explorer whose many discoveries of bromeliads in the Cordilleras of South America would be influential on horticulturists to follow. He served as a source of inspiration to 20th-century collectors, in particular [[Mulford B. Foster]] and [[Lyman Bradford Smith|Lyman Smith]] of the United States and [[Werner Rauh]] of Germany and Michelle Jenkins of Australia.<ref>André, Édouard François. "Bromeliaceae Andreanae. Description et histoire des Bromeliacees recoltees dans La Colombie, L'Ecuador et Le Venezuela". Paris: Librairie Agricole; G. Masson, 1889</ref>