Duscr. Acaulescent. Leaves thirty or forty in a dense 
rosette, ensiform, about a foot long, two inches broad, rigid 
in texture, flat and bright green on the face, duller green 
on the back, the point armed with a large pungent spine, 
the edges margined with a continuous distinct persistent 
grey horny border, which is furnished with numerous irre- 
gular large faleate brown horny prickles. Pedunele three 
or four times as long as the leaves, furnished with abundant 
subulate squarrose empty bracts. Spike cylindrical, about 
as long as the peduncle, seven or eight inches in diameter 
when the flowers are fully expanded ; flowers arranged in 
pairs, each flower with a distinct pedicel, and each pair with 
a short peduncle and small linear bract. Ovary green, 
cylindrical-trigonous, under an inch long; tube funnel- 
shaped, a quarter of an inch long ; segments oblong, green 
tinged with claret-purple, as long as the ovary. Stamens 
insérted at the throat of the perianth-tube ; filaments claret- 
purple, two inches long; anthers linear-oblong, half an inch 
long. Style finally as long as the filaments, but not till 
after the anthers have withered.—J. @. Baker. 
: Fig. 1, View of plant—much reduced 3 2and 3, portions of leaves; 3, flowers; 
4, section of flower :—al/ of the natural size. 
