received from Galeotti many years ago as a native of Mexico, 
under the name we have here adopted. It flowered in the 
autumn of 1861 for the first time, and was a very attractive ob- 
ject during the whole winter, for the expansion of the innume- 
rable flowers on the long and singularly decurved spike was 
very gradual, and now that we are describing it (August, 1862) 
the spike still remains with a few imperfect capsules, and an im- 
mense quantity of young plants germinating on the rachis. ‘The 
leaves are withering, and the foliage and most of the stem will 
probably die; but suckers are produced from the base of the 
stem, and there is altogether a most abundant crop of young 
plants. 
Descr. Stem three to four feet high, and twelve inches in cir- 
cumference, cicatrized with the transverse scars arising from the 
fallen leaves. Leaves two to three feet long, forming a noble 
crown to the stem, very thick and fleshy, and smgularly glau- 
cous, spathulato-lanceolate, quite entire, and with a narrow car- 
tilaginous margin, terminated by a long and very pungent and su- 
bulate spine. Scape eight feet long, cylindrical, erect or nearly 
so, beset with large subulate dracts, and terminating in a dense; 
caudate, remarkably deflexed spite, nearly as thick as one’s arm, 
of really innumerable, most firmly compacted, and imbricated 
flower-buds. ‘The lowest buds are the first to diverge from the 
rachis, and to expand; and then the spike becomes Aérissé with 
the multitude of stamens and styles, and eventually with a large 
crop of young plants, for it is abundantly proliferous, especially 
towards the apex. Bracteoles about three inches long, subulate, 
including two to four shortly pedicelled, green flowers, each about 
an inch and a half long. Ovary inferior, oblong, broader than 
the short free portion of the cylindrical tude; limé of six rather 
long, linear, obtuse, channelled, spreading segments. Stamens 
as long as the flowers, or even longer. Anthers long, linear. 
Style often as long as the filaments of the stamens. 
Fig. 1. Very reduced flowering plant. 2. Portion of the rachis of the spike, 
with flowers :—zatural size. 3. Bract, bracteoles, and flowers :—slightly mag- 
nified. 4. Apex of a leaf:—naéural size. 
