Tas. 6441. 
AACHMEA MARI®-REGINA. 
Native of Costa Rica. 
Nat. Ord. BromEniaceEz.—Tribe ANANASSER. 
Genus Aicumea, R. & P. ; (Baker in Trimen Journ. 1879, p. 129). 
Aicumea (Chevalliera) Marie-regine; acaulis, foliis basalibus 15-20 dense 
rosulatis lorato-lanceolatis acutis basi dilatatis subcoriaceis 2-3-pedalibus 
utrinque presertim ad faciem inferiorem tenuiter lepidotis spinis marginali- 
bus parvis crebris patulis instructis, pedunculo valido stricto subpedali albo- 
tomentoso bracteis pluribus lanceolatis reflexis spinoso-dentatis splendide 
coccineis proedito, floribus in spicam oblongam densam aggregatis, bracteis 
floralibus minutis lanceolatis membranaceis, ovario oblongo albo-lepidoto, 
sepalis equilongis et latis obliquis valde imbricatis conspicue cuspidatis, 
petalis lingulatis sepalis duplo longioribus primum ceruleis demum rubris 
basi distincte bisquamatis, genitalibus inclusis. . 
A. Mariev-regine, H. Wendl.jin Hamb. Gartenzeit vol. xix. (1863), p. 82 ; Regel, 
Gartenfl. vol. xiii. (1864), p. 152; Baker, in Trimen Journ, 1879, p. 162. 
This is botanically a near neighbour of Aechmea (Chevalliera) 
Veitchii, figured in the Borantcat Magazine, tab. 6329. The 
leaves and spikes of the two plants are similar, but here the 
flower-bracts are reduced to a minimum, and the most 
effective part of the plant is the large bright red reflexing 
bract-leaves of the general peduncle. The present plant is 
a native of Costa Rica, where it is used at the feast of 
Corpus Christi for the decoration of the altars in the churches. 
Its local name is “Flor de Santa Maria,” from which the 
scientific name has been taken. It has been in cultivation 
in Europe for nearly twenty years, but only flowers rarely. 
Our plate was drawn from a specimen that flowered with 
Messrs. B. S. Williams and Co., at Holloway, in April of 
this present year. 
Desor. Leaves fifteen to twenty in a sessile. utricular 
rosette, lorate-lanceolate, two or three feet long, three or 
four inches broad at the dilated clasping base, two or three 
inches in the middle, subcoriaceous in texture, thinly white 
AUGUST Ist, 1879. 
