Mr. J. G. Baker (/.c.) enumerates 128 species of Aehmea, 
but seven years later Dr. Mez (l.c.), after describing 
several new species, and restoring Canistrum and Hohen- 
bergia to generic rank, reduces the number to 114. All 
these are natives of Tropical America and the West 
Indies. 
We do not find any figure resembling the present plant 
in the magnificent collection of drawings, now at Kew, 
formerly belonging to the late Prof. Ed. Morren. 
Descr.—A stemless perennial. Leaves rosulate, ligulate 
from a sheathing base, about eighteen inches long and an 
inch and three-quarters wide, minutely lepidote on both 
surfaces; margins narrow, cartilaginous, red; spines 
approximate, slender, red, curved upwards. Panicle dis- 
tichous, formed of numerous, sessile, many-flowered, dis- 
tichous spikes; scape about fourteen inches long, rosy ; 
bracts scarious, ovate-oblong, decreasing in size upwards, 
rosy ; bracteoles broadly ovate-oblong, acuminate (the lower 
aristate), green covered with white scurf, margins broad, 
scarious, lavender-coloured. Sepals ovate-lanceolate, aris- 
tate, coriaceous, green, pilose, six lines long. Petals 
oblanceolate, mucronate, with two lanceolate folds about 
four lines long on the upper surface, deep violet, ten lines 
long, a line and a half wide near the apex, basal scales 
white, two lines and a half long. Stamens about as long 
as the petals; anthers oblong, apiculate, dorsifixed near 
the middle; filaments compressed, with hyaline margins. 
Ovary pilose; style filiform, branches short, spirally 
twisted.—C. H. Wricut. 
4h 
Fig. 1, flower; 2, petal and stamen; 3, anther; 4, style-arms; 5, sketch oe 
the whole plant :—1—4 enlarged, 5 much reduced. 
