I think Crypt's are male or female. I've found that some broms are very self fertile and if a fly goes by you will get seed, and others you either have to pollinate with their own pollen or that from another plant. Some are just not fertile.

Most broms have perfect/bisexual flowers (i.e. both male and female parts in the same flower), but many are simply not self-compatible on a genetic level. On the other end of the spectrum, some are habitual self-pollinators and not receptive to outside pollen. Still others fall somewhere in between. There's no way to really know which is which except by observation of their habits over time and experimenting with it.

There are some exceptions to the perfect flower rule. As mentioned, Cryptanthus have two types of flowers-- some have both male and female parts, others only male. These both occur on the same plant, however, which classifies Crypts as "monoecious". Aechmea mariae-reginae and Androlepis skinneri are both dioecious, meaning that male and female flowers occur on separate plants. These have no "perfect" flowers. I think there may be some Hechtias that fall into this category too? Somebody may correct me on that or have some other anomalies to add to the list.

Thanks Lisaclv, for your explanation on the sexing of broms.

For example though, with my bill here...
{{gwi:452522}}

... where on the flower do I apply the pollen, so as to initiate the seed making?

Putting the yellow pollen on the purple/blue curly bits sticking out of the middle should work.

Referring to the photo in the previous posting by nebu: The yellow (where the pollen is) is the male organ called the stamen. The purple or blue curly part is the female organ called the pistil. When both occur in one bloom it is asexual. When only one is present in a bloom then it is either a male or female bloom depending on which it has. Some plant species (though I don't know about Broms specifically) have entire plants with only male or female blooms present and have to rely on wind and/or insects and animals (or people) to pollinate them.