360 



9 to 10 lilies long. Growing among rocks Avith littlo Kdil, along tlio margin of the 

 bay at Manzanillo, Dcct-niber 1 to 31, 1890. Ko. 1070. 



I havo given ;i Cull description above, as tho original reforenco is very incoiu- 

 l)lete. 



The Ibllowing note ap]>eai"e(l in Garden and Forest oi .January A, 1893: 



'•It will bo of considerable interest to the readers of (iardcii and Forest to 

 know that Dr. Edward Palmer has c<dlected what secnis to bo the little-knowu 

 jlf/orc aiKjiusiifniimn (see figure 11). The plant is entirely iinhiiown to the 

 growers of Jt/avt's, and in only represented in herbaria by the type speeinieuH 

 in the Eugelniann Herbarium at the Shaw School <»f Hotany, St. Louis. 



"Tho following note from Dr. Kngelmann, publinlied in tho Transactions of the 

 Academy of Sciences. St. Louis (vol. iii, p. 306), contained all the information 

 that we previously liad rc8pe<'ting this plant: 



'"Dr. Oregg collected near Ocotillo, direction of Tepic, in western Jlexico, 

 leaves of a plant which he says bears a scajte 5 to feet high, and ■which, 

 lil<oiiianyuarrow-leaved At/ares and Viu'Cff^, was called "I'amilhi" by thonatives; 

 unfortunately uo flowers came along, but as it seems to bo an undescribed Agave, 

 it may be designated as A. angustlsaima; leaves 2 to 3 feet long, 2 and 1^ linos 

 wide, convex on tln^ back, lilauientose on tho nuirgin, narrowed into a short f2J 

 lines), stout, triatkgular, brown H])ine. It seems allied to -1. Jihimentosa Salm., 

 which, however, has much shorter and wider leaves. The form of tho terminal 

 spine ])rccludes its being taken for a )'Mcca.' 



"Dr. Palmer's i)lant reaches 12 feet in height. The leaves are Bunierous in 

 a dense rosette, tho ilowers, in i)air«, as in A. Hcludtii, yellow, with linear lobes. 

 I submitted this species to Jlr. J. G. Baker, of Kew, as probably a new s])ccies, 

 who wrote mo as follows: ' Wo have nothing like this either in tho herbarium 

 or tho garden; its nearcsst allinity is evidently tho inii)erfectly des<;ribed A. 

 anijuaiinxima, of which we have no spocimeus.' 



"With this suggestion I a]iplied to Dr. William Trelease for the loanof Engel- 

 mann's plant. Through his kindness I have been able to examino tho type of 

 tins species. I have little hesitancy in referring my s]ie(iniens hero. Tho type 

 sjiecimcuis, however, consist of only a few leaves cut otf above the enlarged 

 base. With such material any com]iarison is very unsatisfactory, but until 

 si»ecimens can be obtained from the original station, and it is jiroved to be dif- 

 fertMit, this ])laut should stand for A. auguntinnlma. 



"Dr. Palmer's plant was collected at Manzanillo, December 1 to 31, 1890 (Xo. 

 1070). Tho plant is common, growing among rocks, witli little soil, along the 

 margin of tho bay. 1 have sonui small plants growing in the greenhouses of the 

 Department of Agriculture. 



" Seeds wln-n planted in pans, germinated in seven to ten days. Seeds have 

 been sent to Kew and to tho Shaw gardens, hut no report has yet been recei\ ed." 



Mr. W. Watson, of Kew, also writing in Garden and Forcnt (vol. vi. p. 70) has 

 this to say regarding this dis(!overy : 



"'I'he i>icturo and full account of this Agave, published in Garden and Forest 

 (vol. vi. p. 5), were highly int<^resting to growers of suci-uleiit plants in this coun- 

 try, and still more interesting is the fact that, tlnough tho kindness of Prof. 

 Sargent, wlio sent seeds of it to Kow, it is likely soon to become Ivuown in c(d- 

 lections here, tho seeds having germinated (|uickly and freely. The offer of seeds 

 through your pages (vcd. vi. ]>.()) to any i>erson wishing to grow this plant should 

 be taken advantage of l»y all <'uitivators of such species of agavo as A.fiJifcra 

 and A. schottii, to whidi ornamental and compact growers A. angustissima is 

 closely r(^lated. The attention of collc<tors an<l botanists g<'iieia]ly should be 

 drawn to the forethought and good nature which atttiuded the rediscovery of 

 this plant. It is difticult to interest botanical collectors in the introduction of 

 desirable plants into cultivation." 



