Tas. 8087. 
RHODOSTACHYS PITCAIRNII FOLIA, 
Chili. © 
BromeE.iacez®. Tribe BRoMELIE. 
Ruopostacuys, Phil.: Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. iii. p. 662. 
Rhodostachys pitcairniifolia, Benth. in Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. 
vol. iii. p. 662; Baker, Handb. Bromel. p. 28; R. andine, Phil. (Bot. Mag. 
t. 7148) affinis; hzec vero foliis angustioribus, petalis carneis differt. 
Caulis brevis, apice ramos breves nonnullos gerens. Folia plura, dense 
conferta, e basi ovato-triangulari ensiformia, circa 1 ped. longa, basi 1 poll. 
lata, primum albo-lepidota, demum fere glabra, in marginibus spinis 
incurvis 4 poll. distantibus instructa, intima facie superiore splendide 
rubra. Flores in capitulo centrali sessili circa 2 poll. diametro dense 
conferti. Sepala anguste lanceolato-acuminata, fere 1 poll. longa, 
primum extus dense albo-lepidota. Petala ccerulea, quam sepala paulio 
longiora, oblonga, obtusa, erecta, basi intus callis duobus parvis_in- 
structa. Stamina quam petala paullo breviora; filamenta basi dila- 
tata; anthers lineares, lutew, circa 5 lin. longe; pollinis granule leves, 
50 mp diam. Ovarium oblongum, plano-convexum, parte superiore 
pubescente ; stylus basi incrassatus, quam anthers dimidio brevior; stig- 
mata tria, brevia.—Bromelia pitcairnitfolia, C. Koch, Wochenschr. 1868, 
p- 325, and 1870, p. 149. B. Joinvillei, Morren in Belg. Hort. 1876, 
p- 161, tt. 10-11. Hechtia pitcairniifolia, Verlot in Rev. Hort. 1868, 
p- 211,cumicon. Billbergia Joinvillei, Van Houtte, Catal. 1871, n. 138. 
Pourretia Joinvillei, Hort. ex Chatin in Journ. Soc. Centr. Hortic. 
France, 1871, p. 360. P. flewilis and P. mexicana, Hort. ex Morren in 
Belg. Hort. 1876, p. 161. Fascicularia pitcairniifolia, Mez in DC. 
Monogr. Phan. vol. ix. p. 10. 
The plant figured flowered for the first time in November 
last, in the collection of Major W. L. Harvey at Tredarvah, 
Penzance, having been originally brought from Germany 
by the late Mrs. Harvey over thirty years ago. There are 
numerous large plants at Kew, one of which, on the 
authority of Mr. W. Watson, the Curator, flowered ten to 
fifteen years ago, but not since. Plants sent from Kew to 
Tresco are stated by Mr. Dorrien-Smith to flower there 
annually in the open air. The species first flowered 
in cultivation in 1866 in M. Luddemann’s garden in 
Paris ; since then it has done so at several places on the 
continent. 
As can be seen from the above quoted synonymy, Rhodo- 
stachys pitcarniifolia has been placed in several different 
genera. Mez (in Mart. Flor. Bras. vol. iii. pars 11. p. 627) 
constitutes for it a new genus, Fascicularia, of which he 
gives as diagnostic characters, “‘ petalis ligulatis pollineque 
Aveust Ist, 1906. 
