More than 60% of anticancer drugs originate from natural sources, including rainforest plants, according to research published in the International Journal of Oncology. There are over 40,000 different types of plants in the Amazon Rainforest; Almost half of the earth’s rainfall happens and is stored in the Amazon Rainforest; The Amazon Rainforest covers over 1 … Bromeliads have Stiff, long leaves that act as a water channel, collecting water droplets when it rains, and providing the plant with nutrients. The 'Amazon Rainforest' got … Many of the plants in the Congo tropical rain forest have adapted to have curved leaves allowing them to collect water, like that of the Bromeliads. Fun Facts About the Amazon Rainforest. Bromeliads are members of a plant family called Bromeliaceae. Bromeliad in Boquete, Panama. Its berries taste a bit like pineapple, but are less tasty, and there are not very many on each plant. Living as epiphytes, you can spot the different bromeliads in the Amazon Rainforest perched high on the branches of rainforest trees. Information and pictures: epiphytes. The amount of light can affect a bromeliad's leaf color, leaf shape, and growth rate. The Bromeliaceae (the bromeliads) is a family of monocot flowering plants of 75 genera and around 3590 known species native mainly to the tropical Americas, with a few species found in the American subtropics and one in tropical west Africa, Pitcairnia feliciana.. Andy Wraithmell on Flickr. The most well known bromeliad is the pineapple. Rainforest plants are used in some of the world's most important, life-saving medicines. This is described as 'lungs of the planet'. The roots of many epiphytic ferns bind fallen leaves and other debris together. The pineapple is the most familiar member of this tropical American group, which also includes some of the most interesting plants of the rainforest—the tank bromeliads.Most bromeliads are epiphytes—that is, plants that live attached to other vegetation. Bromelia, the plant which gives its name to the family, is the only other bromeliad with edible fruit. The Amazon Rainforest is one of the world's greatest ntural sources. The family contains over 3000 described species in approximately 56 genera plus thousands of hybrids. Here, their thick leaves collect water and provide home for insects and tadpoles. The rainforest recycles the carbon dioxide form the air anmd turns it into oxygen. Bromeliads come from a wide range of environments, from areas with deep shade to full sun, so chances are good that you can find one suitable for your site. Fascicularia is the only bromeliad that can be grown in frosty areas. Bromeliads comprise an entire order of flowering plants called Bromeliales. 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