gigantic a size, with such large leaves and such a massy 
spike of flowers, wdth innumerable richly-coloured bracteas, that 
positively neither I nor those who first saw it with me, could 
recognize it as the Pitcairnia midulatifolia of Bot, Mag., or the 
Puya Altensteinii of the Prussian botanists. Yet a rigid com¬ 
parison has satisfied me that they are the same, and there 
is no reason to doubt that, whoever will give the plant plenty 
of heat, light, moisture, and pot-room, may have it growing 
in the like perfection with Messrs. Lucombe and Pince. Any 
one can now assure himself, by looking at the accompanying 
figure, that I ought not to be satisfied with representing the small 
state alone of the plant, with the observation that it is a very 
showy species, and no collection should be without it. The 
v^. gigantea is truly magnificent: its flowering season has 
hitherto been February and March; when one such specimen 
(standing as it does five feet high from the ground) gives effect 
to a large portion of a stove. 
The description, given under P. vMdulatifolia, tab. 4241, will 
suffice for the present species. 
