The clonal tank‐bromeliad Aechmea bromeliifolia (Rudge) Baker was found in four different habitats in a restinga (vegetation mosaic on sandy coastal plains), of south‐eastern Brazil. These habitats (swamp forest, dry forest, dry shrubland and herbaceous marsh) lie within a few hundred metres of each other along a gradient extending inland from the coast, and differ markedly in terms of light and flood regime. We compared ramet morphology, leaf anatomy and physiology, and population parameters to examine the amplitude of trait variation of this widespread species in the studied restinga. This integrated approach allowed us to examine which variation conferred acclimation and which was merely a stress symptom. A. bromeliifolia showed site‐specific differences in abundance, distribution, rosette size and shape, leaf anatomical arrangement and photochemical efficiency (potential quantum yield; Fv/Fm) during the day. Most of the variation found seemed to be related to the interaction of light and flooding. The lowest number and size of ramets at the exposed, dry shrubland was matched by a marked leaf photoinhibition, which suggested poor acclimation to local levels of light intensity and limited water supply. In the other habitats, the morpho‐physiological parameters measured suggested adequate foraging behaviour and site acclimation. © 2002 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2002, 140, 391‐401.

ABSTRACT

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One of the largest (ca. 450 accepted names) and most widely distributed genera of Bromeliaceae is Pitcairnia, with species occurring in Mexico, Central America, the West Indies, and throughout much of South America. The present study developed a phylogenetic hypothesis based on macro-and micromorphology, and tested the monophyly of the genus and subgenera, as well as the position of P. feliciana. The study included 67 species of Pitcairnia and 12 outgroup taxa selected to represent the morphological diversity and areas of endemism of Bromeliaceae. The results supported the monophyly of Pitcairnia, as indicated by two non-homoplasious and five homoplasious synapomorphies. Pitcairnia subgenus Pepinia and Pitcairnia subgenus Pitcairnia did not form a monophyletic group. Pitcairnia feliciana appeared to be related to the Atlantic Forest taxa. Phylogenetic relationships among the species recorded in the three Brazilian phytogeographic domains (Atlantic Forest, Cerrado, and Amazon) were obtained, and the relationships showed that the members of Pitcairnia occupied the three Brazilian domains through several routes.

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