14 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 
Prochnyanthes viridescens Watson, loc. cit. Figure 5. 
Rootstock thick, sending off many thick- 
ened roots, crowned with a bulb 5 em, or 
more long, this clothed with the fibrous 
remains of old leaves; stem erect, 18 dim. 
high; leaves few, becoming  bracteate 
above, glabrous and somewhat glaucous; 
basal leaves numerous, 3 to 5 dm. long, 4 
to 5 em. broad, mostly erect; inflorescence 
a lax raceme of 5 to 30 pairs of flowers; 
pedicels 4 cm, long to nearly wanting; 
perianth from greenish to brown; the lower 
part of the tube cylindrical, ascending, 
and just below the middle abruptly 
swollen and bent, the upper part some- 
what) pendant and bell-shaped; lobes 
broadly ovate, 6 to 8 mim. long; stamens 
inserted below the bend in the perianth; 
Fig. 5.—Flowers of Prochnyanthes viridescens, ; 
natural size. filaments slender; capsule orbicular, 10 to 
15 mim. in diameter. 
Specimens cramined: 
Jalisco: Cool grassy slopes of rocky hills near Guadalajara, C. G. Pringle, August 
18, 1898 (no. 4505); Rio Blanco, Dr. Kdward Palmer, June to October, 1886 
(no. 9, type); near Colotlan, J. N. Rose, August 28, 1897 (no. 2679); on road 
between Bolafios and Guadalajara, J. N. Rose, September 22, 1897 (no. 8098 ) ; 
Sierra Madre, west of Bolafios, J. N. Rose, September 17, 1897 (no. 8724). 
Zacatecas: Near Monte Escobedo, J. N. Rose, August 26, 1897 (no, 2628). 
Durango: Vicinity of city of Durango, Dr. Edward Palmer, April to November, 
1896 (no. 558a); J. N. Rose, August to September, 1897 (no. $750). 
Territorio de Tepic: Between Dolores and Santa Gertrudis, J. N. Rose, August 
7 and 10, 1897 (no, 2045). 
Prochnyanthes bulliana Baker, Bot. Mag. 121: pl. 7427. 1895. 
Bravoa bulliana Baker, Gard. Chron. 22: 328. 1884. 
P. bulliana hardly differs from P. viridescens, but it is described as having large 
flowers, which are sessile instead of having long pedicels. 
Another distinction pointed out by Baker seems not to hold. He states in the 
Botanical Magazine that ?. riridescens has long pedicels, articulated near the middle. 
It seems true that the pedicels are usually long, though they are sometimes nearly 
wanting; but they are always jointed just at the base of the flower. While 2. bu/- 
liana is figured and described with sessile flowers, yet it was originally described as 
having the flowers shortly pediceled. 
Prochnyanthes mexicana (Zucc.) Rose. 
Polianthes mevicana Zuce, Abhand|]. Akad. Muench. 2: 3819. 1837. 
I have not seen specimens of this plant. It certainly is not an Agave, as suggested 
by Kunth, nor is it Polianthes tuberosa, to which species it is referred by the Kew 
Index. From the deseription I can not separate it from Bravow bulliana Baker, pos- 
sessing as it does flowers of the same size, form of perianth tube, color, and insertion 
of stamens. It should, therefore, be taken up as Prochinyanthes mecicana, 
