The plants of the cerra(lo and caatinga ecological provinces of Brazil, the suggested original home of pineapple (3), have many and varied mechanisms whereby they have adapted to the frequent development of moisture stress. The pineapple planit presenits a peculiarly interestinig combination of those traits that have been l)ropose(l for xerophytic and sc!erophyllous plants (10, 15). Preferentia...