Tas. 6904. 
KARATAS ACANTHOCRATER. 
Native of Brazil. 
Nat. Ord. BromeL1acE#.—Tribe BromELIre. © 
Genus Karatas, Adans. ; (Benth. et Hook.f. Gen. Pl. vol. iii. p- 660.) 
Karatas (Nidularium) acanthocrater ; acaulis, foliis 20-30 loratis obtusis cuspi- 
datis patulis rigidulis facie viridibus sepe maculatis dorso tenuiter lepidotis 
margine atrobrunneis spinis crebris validis ascendentibus armatis, foliis inte- 
rioribus brevioribus pulchre purpureo suffusis, floribus pluribus in capitulum 
_globosum centralem aggregatis, bracteis lanceolatis viridibus, ovario cylindrico, 
calycis segmentis oblongo-lanceolatis cuspidatis, corolle tubo cylindrico — 
segmentis ovatis cuspidatis falcatis violaceis, staminibus ad corolla faucem 
uniseriatis filamentis brevibus antheris oblongis, stylo elongato, stigmatibus 
spiraliter convolutis. 
Nidularium acanthocrater, Morren in Belg. Hort. vol. xxxiv. (1884), p. 140, 
tab. 9. 
This new species is one of the finest of the curious 
Bromeliacez with a nest-like habit of growth. In general 
appearance it closely resembles the three best-known 
garden species, N. fulgens, N. Meyendorfii, and N. Inno- 
centii, but the colouring of the inner leaves, instead of 
being red, is purple. There are two varieties, one 
(Plutonis) in which the purple shades off in the direction 
of red, and the other (Proserpinw) in which it has a bluish 
tinge. The plant is a native of the forests of South Brazil, 
and was first sent to Europe by the indefatigable Dr. 
Glaziou in 1877. It flowered for the first time in the 
Botanic Garden of Liege in 1881, and a stock was raised 
and distributed in commerce by M. Jacob-Makoy and Co. 
shortly after. Our drawing was made from a plant that 
flowered at Kew in May, 1886. Nidulariwm is a name 
which is universally used as generic in gardens, but it was 
reduced to a section of Karatas by Mr. Bentham. 
Desor. Acaulescent. Leaves twenty or thirty, arranged 
in a dense rosette, spreading, lorate, cuspidate, the outer a 
foot long, two and a half or three inches broad at the 
middle, three or four inches at the dilated base, firm in 
texture, green and often spotted with brown-black on the 
Noy. Ist, 1886, 
