Tas. 5234, 
PUYA GRANDIFLORA. 
Large-flowered Puya. 
Nat. Ord. BromeLiace®.—HeExanprRIA MoNnoGyYNIA. 
Gen. Char: (Vide supra, Tas. 4991.) 
Pura grandiflora ; caule subelongato robusto cicatricato, foliis numerosissimis € 
lata basi lingulato-subulatis coriaceo-firmis canaliculatis supra viridibus sub-. 
tus canescentibus marginibus grosse atro-spinosis, spinis subulatis, carina 
etiam spinosa, pedunculo elato, panicula elongata pluriflora laxa, ramis ca- 
lycibus bracteisque extus dense ferrugineojpannosis, petalis basi intus bi- 
squamatis albo-virescentibus 4—5-uncialibus sepalisque falcato-decurvis. 
This is certainly among the most striking among Bromeli- 
aceous plants. We received it many years ago, at the Royal 
Gardens, from Real del Monte, in Mexico. The height of the 
flowering plant is little short of twelve feet. In some respects 
it agrees with the description of Piteairnia ferruginea, a Pe- 
ruvian plant of Ruiz and Pavon, especially in the character 
“floribus falcato-recurvis,” and in the “ pedicellis calycibusque - 
ferrugineo-tomentosis ;” but the petals are there purplish and 
scaleless, and the flowers only two to three inches long. Still, 
I take it the two plants must be nearly allied; yet it is very 
difficult to define satisfactorily Bromeliaceous plants without the 
aid of figures. 
Descr. Stem as thick as a man’s leg, 2-3 feet long, rough 
from the remains of the bases of former years’ leaves, simple 
or branched. eaves very numerous, terminal on the stem: or 
branch, two to three feet long, recurved, from a broad base, 
ligulato-subulate, very much and finely acuminate, hard-cori- 
aceous, dark-green above, whitish and hoary beneath, chan- 
nelled, the margin beset with large, hard, subulate, subfalcate, 
black, very pungent spines. Keel beset with whitish spines. 
Peduncle or scape five to six feet long, stout in proportion, 
bracteated with subulate leaf-like dracts. Panicle longer than 
MARCH Ist, 1861. 
