Tas. 5246. 
TILLANDSIA recurviro.ia. 
Recurved-leaved Tillandsia. 
Nat. Ord. BRoMELIAcE®.—HExanpria Monoeynia. 
Gen. Char, (Vide Supra, TaB. 5229.) 
TILLANDSIA recurvifolia; foliis glaucescenti-lepidotis, ¢ lata basi lanceolato-su- 
bulatis canaliculatis integerrimis, radicalibus insigniter recurvis, floralibus 
erecto-subpatentibus minus glaucis spicam equantibus, scapo folioso brevis- 
simo, spica late ovata subcapitata laxe bracteata, bracteis elliptico-oblongis 
acutissimis roseis, calycis albi laciniis lanceolatis mucronato-acutis basi in 
tubum unitis, corolle albz petalis spathulatis stamina superantibus fila- 
mentis supra medium crispato-flexuosis. 
This is, as far as I can find, a new species of 7t/andsia, evi- 
dently of the same group as, and nearly allied to, the pretty 7” 
pulchella, figured in a late number of this Magazine, Tab. 5229, 
differing in the much broader, very glaucous, all very much re- 
curved leaves, in the larger, almost sessile, and nearly ovate 
spikes of flowers, with much broader and pink-coloured, not red, 
bracts. We owe the possession of it to our friend, W. D. 
Christie, Esq., British Minister at Rio, who introduced it to 
Kew Gardens from Panama. I have already remarked, that 
easily as the Zil/andsi@ are to import living, and tenacious as 
they are of life, no plants are more difficult to preserve in culti- 
vation for any length of time. 
Descr. Stemless. Radical leaves copious, densely imbrica- 
ting at their broad base, and thence becoming lanceolato-subu- 
late, three to four inches long, channelled, thickly clothed with 
minute scales, which give them a hoary and very glaucescent 
appearance ; the interior and superior leaves, which immediately 
surround the inflorescence, are more erect, less glaucous, but 
broader, in proportion to the length, at their base. Scape very 
short, leafy, terminated by a broad ovate spike or capitulum of 
flowers, laxly imbricated with large broad-oblong, very acute, 
MAY Ist, 1861. ' 
