SI Table 2: List of all studied specimens and taxa including essential biological attributes. Biological materials used in this study all stem from Botanical Garden or University living collections. Those materials kept at University of Vienna Botanical Garden are available from the authors upon reasonable request. Requests for materials collected from other living collections are to be directed to the collection managers. Analysis Samples Photosynthesis Leaves Biological and Ecological characteristics Metabolites RNA WGS WGS mean depth coverage Species Photosynthesis ?13C (‰) Succulence Shape Observed_trichomes Water_tank Life habit Bracts Flower Pollinators O: outcrosser S: Self-compatible "Species_geographic range " label_herbarium 1 0 0 na Alcantarea regina C3 -29.7 0 "wide and flat, very fibrous" 0 1 terrestrial red yellow bats o "Up to 1000m , Brazil" T32.11 0 0 1 23.8223 Alcantarea trepida C3 -24.6 0 wide and flat 0 1 saxicolous brownish /reddish yellowish/braun na o "300–900 m, Brazil" Atre_504a 1 0 1 5.23274 Barfussia laxissima C3 -26.2 0 "wide and flat, very fibrous" 0 1 terrestrial purple White-pinkish o Bolivia B294 1 0 1 5.33546 Lemeltonia dodsonii C3 -24.8 0 "elongated,thin, delicate" 0 0 epiphytic green white na o "1100 m, Ecuador" B127 same as B493/96 1 0 1 6.5288 Pseudalcantarea macropetala C3 -31.7 0 wide and flat 0 1 epiphyte in forest green white- yellowish bats S/O Mexico B742 0 0 1 4.78661 Racinaea spiculosa C3 -25.8 0 wide and flat 0 0 epiphyte in forest green white na S/O Wide south AM distribution B1596 1 0 0 na Racinea sinuosa C3 -26.5 0 wide and flat 1 1 epiphyte pale yellow pale yellow insects s na B 9717-2 1 0 0 na Tillandsia lajensis CAM -20.0 0 wide and flat 0 0 terrestrial stems are red and bracts are yellow pink na S/O na B24-90 Linz B.G. 1 0 0 na Tillandsia stricta var albifolia CAM -15.4 1 very thick cuticle 1 0 Epiphytic in dry or wet forest pink blue na S/O Brazil BRO140813 (B1539) 0 0 1 50.4868 Tillandsia adpressiflora C3 -29.3 0 wide and flat 0 0 Saxicolous or epiphytic red dark purple na O "100-625 m, wide South AM distribution" BR3.2015 (8951) 0 1 1 6.29877 Tillandsia australis C3 -27.3 0 "wide and flat, very fibreous" 0 1 Saxicolous and epiphytic red purple na O "700-3900 m, Bolivia, Argentina" B1293 1 0 0 na Tillandsia divaricata CAM -15.2 unclear "wide, flat" 1 0 epiphyte yellowish/pink lilac insect/hummingbird O na B1522 (B9748-1) 1 1 1 22.8587 Tillandsia australis C3 -29.0 0 "wide and flat, very fibreous" 0 1 Saxicolous and epiphytic red purple na O "700-3900 m, Bolivia, Argentina" HBV B138/87 1 1 0 na Tillandsia australis C3 -27.6 0 "wide and flat, very fibreous" 0 1 Saxicolous and epiphytic red purple na O "700-3900 m, Bolivia, Argentina" HBV B17/86 1 1 0 na Tillandsia australis C3 -26.1 0 "wide and flat, very fibreous" 0 1 Saxicolous and epiphytic red purple na O "700-3900 m, Bolivia, Argentina" B01B26-1 1 0 0 na Tillandsia capillaris CAM -15.0 1 "curly, very tinny" 1 0 epiphyte yellow green na S/O na WT 56 1 0 1 33.1588 Tillandsia complanata C3 -30.9 0 wide and flat 1 1 epiphyte in forest red pink hummingbird O 750-3600 m broad South AM distribution BRO 000726 Heidelberg 0 0 1 7.09465 Tillandsia curvispica CAM -22.9 1 very thick cuticl 1 0 saxicolous green white na O "1200m, Peru" B1597 1 0 1 6.07676 Tillandsia demissa CAM -22.0 0 "wide and flat, not fibrous" 0 1 Saxicolous and epiphytic yellowish/pink lilac/pinkish na O "Ecuador, Loja" B1373 1 0 1 6.03045 Tillandsia disticha CAM -17.6 1 "elongated,thin" 1 0 epiphyte green yellow na O "Colombia, Ecuador, Peru" B1595 = B99B112-1 0 0 1 5.71611 Tillandsia divaricata CAM -15.8 1 thick cuticle 1 0 epiphyte red "pink, red" na O Ecuador B1594 0 1 1 30.0668 Tillandsia fasciculata CAM -15.8 1 very thick cuticle 1 0 Epiphytic in woods Yellow and red purple na s "0 to 1350m, Central and South AM, West Indies" HBV B113/91 1 1 0 na Tillandsia fasciculata CAM -18.3 1 very thick cuticle 1 0 Epiphytic in woods Yellow and red purple na s "0 to 1350m, Central and South AM, West Indies" B103/94 1 1 0 na Tillandsia fasciculata CAM -16.1 1 very thick cuticle 1 0 Epiphytic in woods Yellow and red purple na s "0 to 1350m, Central and South AM, West Indies" B108/94 1 1 0 na Tillandsia fasciculata CAM -14.5 1 very thick cuticle 1 0 Epiphytic in woods Yellow and red purple na s "0 to 1350m, Central and South AM, West Indies" B100/91 1 1 1 26.4765 Tillandsia floribunda CAM -18.6 1 "elongated,thin" 1 0 Saxicolous and epiphytic red purple na O "900-2500 m, Ecuador – Peru" BRO140783=B82/94 1 1 0 na Tillandsia floribunda CAM -20.3 1 "elongated,thin" 1 0 Saxicolous and epiphytic red purple na O "900-2500 m, Ecuador – Peru" ex.BotGard.München 1 1 0 na Tillandsia floribunda CAM -18.9 1 "elongated,thin" 1 0 Saxicolous and epiphytic red purple na O "900-2500 m, Ecuador – Peru" B299/87 0 0 1 23.1307 Tillandsia hitchcockiana CAM -17.6 unclear very thick cuticle 1 0 epiphyte red pinkish na O "1200--1900 m, Ecuador, Peru" JU1.2015() 1 0 0 na Tillandsia hitchcockiana CAM -17.32 1 very thick cuticle 1 0 epiphyte red pinkish na O "1200--1900 m, Ecuador, Peru" B97-109 1 0 0 na Tillandsia juncea CAM -15.35 0 "elongated,thin" 1 0 Terrestrial to epiphyte red purple na S/O "5-2416 m, Wide south AM distribution" WT 7033/ DNA B0073 0 0 1 20.6196 Tillandsia juncea CAM -21.6 0 "elongated,thin" 1 0 Terrestrial to epiphyte red purple na S/O "5-2416 m, Wide south AM distribution" Tjunc_633a 1 0 0 na Tillandsia latifolia CAM -18.1 1 flat and curly 1 (a lot) 0 epiphyte red pink na S/O na B34A/87 0 0 1 21.0746 Tillandsia latifolia CAM -18.5 1 thick cuticle 1 0 saxicolous red pink na O "0 to 2900 m, Peru" HBV B37/87 1 0 1 13.2354 Tillandsia leiboldiana C3 -31.3 0 wide and flat 0 1 epiphyte in forest red purple na O "25-2000 m, Central AM" HBV B84/91 1 0 1 29.6024 Tillandsia propagulifera CAM -20.4 1 thin 1 0 epiphytic green deep purple to black small moths O "450 m, Peru" HBV B98B213-2 1 0 1 6.13085 Tillandsia rauhii CAM -20.7 0 "Flat, very fibrous" 1 1 saxicolous green deep purple to black na O "700 m, Central AM and Peru" B92 0 0 1 30.4144 Tillandsia somnians C3 -26.9 0 "wide and flat, not fibrous" 0 1 saxicolous red purple na O "600m, Ecuador - Peru " PE-0-FRP-2821-FK3.2015 1 0 0 na Tillandsia somnians C3 -26.9 0 "wide and flat, not fibrous" 0 1 saxicolous red purple na O "600m, Ecuador - Peru " B28-94 -PalmGarten 6584 1 1 1 26.227 Tillandsia sphaerocephala CAM -15.7 unclear wide and flat 1 0 Saxicolous and epiphytic red purple na O Peru-Bolivia-Argentina Probe4=B215/91= DNA B1521 1 1 0 na Tillandsia sphaerocephala CAM -16.2 unclear wide and flat 1 0 Saxicolous and epiphytic red purple na O Peru-Bolivia-Argentina HBV390/87 = Probe 5 = B1521 1 1 0 na Tillandsia sphaerocephala CAM -15.7 unclear wide and flat 1 0 Saxicolous and epiphytic red purple na O Peru-Bolivia-Argentina Probe27 0 0 1 25.9628 Tillandsia stenoura C3 -25.7 0 wide and flat 0 1 terrestrial red purple na O na HE130639 0 0 1 23.8212 Tillandsia trauneri C3 -25.7 0 "wide and flat, very fibrous" 0 1 Saxicolous red "dark purple, almost black" na O "1100m, Mexico" JU1.2015() 0 0 1 14.7596 Vriesea itatiaiae C3 -25.56 0 wide and flat 0 1 epiphyte and saxicolous yellow red bat O "2000-2300 m, Brazil" Vitat_574a 1 0 0 na Vriesea longicaulis C3 -26.1 0 wide and flat 0 1 "terrestrial, epiphyte in forest" green brownish bats O " 750- 1900 m, Brazil" 498 Leme 5359 1 0 1 4.93188 Wallisia lindeniana C3 -26.9 0 wide and flat 0 0 epiphyte green from white to blue/purple na O na B758 0 0 1 26.3262 Ananas comosus na na na na na na na na na na na na na