Tab. G939. 



iECHMEA MYRIOPHYLLA. 

 Native of Tropical America. 



Nat. Ord. Bkoiieliace^e. — Tribe Bromelie,e. 

 Genus JEciiMEA, Ruiz et Pavon. ; (Benth. et Hook.f. Gen. PI. vol. iii. p. 663.) 



j&CHXBA (Platyrcchmea) myriophglla ; acaulis, foliis 30-40 dense rosulatis ensi- 

 (ormibus ri^idis falcntiu bipedalibus et ultra facie obscure viridibus canaliculars 

 dorso ten niter albo-IepidotK pedunculo centrali erecto rubelio subpedali 

 deorsum folila arete imbrieatis viridibus occulto, floribu* pcrmultis confertis 

 in paniculam laxam oblongo-deltoideam ramis multis brevibus patulis disticbia 

 pubst'wsilibus dispositis, bracteis late ovatis obtusis cuspidatis apice solum 

 lilieris, ovario oblongo. caljcis se^mentis ovato-laneeolatis cuspidatis, petalis 

 oblonso-spathulatis rubellis calycis segmentis duplo longioribus, staminibus 

 stvloque petalis brevioribus. 



JE. myriopbjlla, Sort. Morren. 



This is a very distinct unpublished species of Brouieliad, 

 which belongs to a small section of the genus JEclimea, 

 which is characterized by the distichous arrangement of the 

 flowers, a plan very common in the Tillandsiese, but very 

 unusual in the genera with an inferior ovary. The only 

 species of this series which has already been figured in the 

 Botanical Magazine is Mclnnea distichantha, Lemaire (Bot. 

 Mag., tab. 5447), but besides these two, nine species are 

 now known, most of which inhabit the open tracts of the 

 southern provinces of Brazil. The flowers, though not 

 large, are bright in colour and remain in good condition 

 for a long time. Our drawing was made from a plant that 

 flowered at Kew in October, 1886, which was purchased 

 from the collection of the late Professor Morren. "We have 

 no exact information as to its native country. 



Desce. Acaulescent, densely casspitose. Leaves thirty 

 or forty in a dense rosette, ensiform, rigid in texture, 

 falcate, two or two and a half feet long, an inch broad at 

 the middle, tapering gradually to a long point, channelled 

 all the way down the dull-green face, thinly argenteo- 

 lepidote on the back, neither spotted nor banded, margined 

 with moderately close ascending brown horny prickles. 



June lsx, 1387. 



