Tas. 8056. 
WITTMACKIA .inevnata. 
West Indies. 
BROMELIACE2. Tribe BRoMELIER. 
-Wirrmacktia, Mez in Mart. Fl. Bras. vol. iii. IIT. p. 275. 
Wittmackia lingulata, Mez l.c. et in DC. Monogr. Phan. vol. ix. p. 140; a 
speciebus reliquis floribus longioribus differt. 
Folia circa 10, rosulatim disposita, rigida, lorata, apice rotundata, breviter 
cuspidata, circa 2 ped. longa, 23 poll. lata; aculei breves, basi dilatati, 
atri, 3 lin. imter se distantes. Scapus primum floccosus, demum 
glabrescens; vaginz lanceolata, integre vel paucidentatz, circa 12 poll. 
longe ; bracteze lanceolate, membranacex ; panicula pinnatim ramosa; 
flores numerosi, sessiles. Sepala alba, ovata, aristata. Petala ovata, e 
basi oblonga, lutea. Stamina interiora ad petala affixa, iisque multo 
breviora; filamenta prope apicem antherarum mucronatorum affixa. 
Ovarwwm glabrum, subcylindricum.—Bromelia lingulata, Linn. Sp. Pl. 
ed. 1, p. 285; Mill. Gard. Dict. ed. 8,n.2; Ait. Hort. Kew. ed. 2, vol. ii. 
p. 201. Hoplophytum lingulatum, Beer, Bromel. p. 139. Chevalliera 
lingulata, Griseb. Fl. Brit. W. Ind. p. 591. Aichmea lingulata, Baker in 
Journ. Bot. 1879, p. 164, et Handb. Bromel. p. 45, partim. Bromelia 
ramosa vel racemosa, foliis arundinaceis serratis, Plum. Nov. Gen. PI. 
p. 46, t. 8 (1703). B. foliis serratis spinosis, etc., Burm. Pl. Amer. Plum. 
p. 53, t. 64, fig. 1 (1755). 
This plant was described as long ago as 1703 by 
Plumier (l.c.) as an American plant, and in 1759 Philip 
Miller enumerated it in the 7th edition of his Dictionary 
as in cultivation, having been received by him from St. 
Christopher’s (now St. Kitt’s). It appears never to have 
become commonly cultivated, and has rarely been sent 
home by collectors, although Grisebach states that it grows 
in several of the West Indian islands. The plant figured 
was grown in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, and 
communicated by Mr. F. W. Moore, A.L.S. 
From the above cited synonmy it will be seen that this 
species has been placed in several different genera; that 
in which it is now included differs from Aichmea in its 
petals being destitute of ligules, and from Hohenbergia in 
the ovules being umbonate or obtuse, not caudate, at the 
apex. Besides the present plant, three species have been 
described, viz.—W. odora, Mez, W. Glaziovii, and W. 
patentissima, Mez, all of which are natives of Brazil, while 
the first named extends into Guiana and the West Indies. 
W. odora was cultivated at Glasgow by Sir W. Hooker 
JanvuaBy Ist, 1906, 
