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etc. so they don't look very unusual. Most people don't have the space for a collection.

Bromeliaceae (pineapple family) mostly rosette forming epiphytes but there are a few desert types. Mostly tolerate dim light. Varied in size. Mostly like warm conditions. Mostly like humid conditions. Tend to give a jungle look, have spectacular inflorescences and large specimens can be used as feature plants. Ease of cultivation varied but most need rain water. Some rare types.

Cacti (desert) more varied than you probably realize. Like bright light. Mature plants can be anything from 1cm to several meters in height. Mostly like a cool rest but not as insistent on it as Mesembrianthemums and Crassulaceae (some need to be kept warm all year). Some hardy in cold climates. Prefer low humidity. Give a desert look. A few hang. The smaller kinds should flower and you can use large specimens as feature plants. Varied in ease of cultivation (some being nearly indestructible). A lot of people have one cactus that often hangs on when all their other plants have died. However there are many rare types and well-grown plants with flowers will look impressive. Even if you stick to the small kinds, you can have a large collection.

Cacti (forest) grow as epiphytes or climbers in rain forests (the best known being the Christmas cactus, Schlumbergera). Prefer dimmer light (east or west facing window sills). Varied in size. Varied in tolerance to cold but most will do well in a normal room. Like humid conditions. Tend to give a jungle look. Most hang and some climb. Many have spectacular flowers and large specimens can be used as feature plants. Mostly easy to grow. Many rare kinds and some look really weird.

Carnivorous plants These all grow in swamps where things don't decompose so there's a lack of nutrients. The plants compensate for this by catching animals (normally insects) and digesting them. Generally like dim light. Mostly small. Varied on temperature, some are hardy in cold climates. Like humidity. Give a jungle look but weirder than normal. Don't hang or climb. Do flower but the flowers often look strange or small. Somewhat tricky to grow and normally insist on rainwater. Most people don't grow them and find them fascinating.

Caudiciforms and Pachycaules These are weird succulents with basal storage organs (caudiciforms) or stems that get gradually fatter towards the base (Pachycaules). Many families contain a few of these (e.g. there are caudiciform species of Begonia, Impatiens

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