a half feet hich. It is a native of the province of Tehua- 
can, in Central Mexico, whence it was imported by Mr. 
Roezl. | 
Deser.—Stemless. Leaves densely rosulate, forming a 
_gub-hemispheric cluster nearly four feet in diameter, the 
outermost spreading horizontally, the innermost erect, all 
about two feet long by four inches broad above the middle, 
oblong-ensiform or oblanceolate, contracted above the base, 
terminated by a rigid brown, strict spine an inch long, 
thickly fleshy, strict, rigid, slightly convex above, more 
so beneath; upper surface very dark green, paler to- 
wards the centre; margins not cartilaginous in an old 
state, beset rather distantly and irregularly with unequal, 
short, brown spines, the largest of which consist of an 
elongate base, sometimes half an inch long, suddenly con- 
tracted into an incurved, pungent tip. Scape with the 
very narrow, spiciform panicle, fourteen and a half feet 
high, strict, erect, clothed below with distant subulate- 
lanceolate bracts. Inflorescence of innumerable very short, 
stout, sub-erect, green, bracteate peduncles, bearing clusters 
of three to five bracteolate, shortly, stoutly pedicelled, 
sub-erect, green flowers two to two and a half inches long. 
Bracts one to three inches long, and smaller bracteoles 
subulate-lanceolate, membranous, brown. Ovary fusiformly 
cylindric, green, smooth. Perianth-segments not as long 
as the ovary, linear-oblong, obtuse, thickly fleshy, green 
with blood-red spots, margins rather broadly winged, 
membranous, pale green. Filaments about twice as long 
as the perianth, very stout, erect; anthers half an inch 
ce we rather longer than the stamens, stigma clavate. 
. Fig. 1, upper third of leaf; 2, cluster of flowers, both of nat. size; 3, leat 
half nat. size; 4 and 5, stamens: 6, ti sti # 
7, igure of whole plant ysth of nat, ane oo ee ee 
