Tas. 7477. 
AGAVE LAXIFOLIA: 
Native of Mexico. 
Nat. Ord. AMARYLLIDEZ.—Tribe AGAVE. 
Genus Acave, Linn.; (Benth. & Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. iii. p. 738.) 
Agave (Huagave) laxifolia; breviter caulescens, foliis 20-30 laxe rosulatis 
oblongo-lanceolatis crassis coriaceis facie sordide viridibus dorso pallide 
viridibus spina parva brunnea pungente terminatis, spinulis marginalibus 
parvis deltoideis apice brunneis, pedunculo valido elongato, floribus in 
paniculam laxam ramis corymbosis dispositis, bracteis parvis deltoideis, 
pedicellis apice elongatis, ovario cylindrico, perianthii tubo infundibulari 
limbi lobis lanceolatis basi deltoideis, staminibus limbo 2-3-plo. longioribus, 
antheris linearibus magnis. 
A. laxifolia, Baker. 
This Agave has been cultivated for many years in the 
Royal Gardens at Kew, and flowered for the first time in 
' the summer of 1895. It was received as a variety of A. 
mexicana, but it differs widely from all the forms of that 
species by its laxly disposed rosette of leaves, which are 
green on both sides even in an early stage, and by its 
smaller spinules. Its place is in the section Rigide, in the 
neighbourhood of A. excelsa, Jacobi. The flowers give out 
a smell exactly like that of mice. As in many other species 
the style does not grow out to its full length till after the 
anthers of the same flower are faded. 
_ Deser.—Shortly caulescent. Leaves twenty or thirty in 
a lax rosette, oblong-lanceolate, firm in texture, one and a 
half or two feet long, three inches broad at the middle, by 
half as much above the dilated base, above which they are 
half an inch in thickness, dull green on the face, paler 
green on the back, without any glaucous tinge, even in an 
early stage, with a small brown pungent end-spine, and 
copious small deltoid marginal spinules, tipped with brown. 
Peduncle stout, four or five feet long. Inflorescence a lax 
panicle about as long as the peduncle, with corymbose 
branches ; bracts small, deltoid ; pedicels half an inch long, 
articulated at the tip. Ovary cylindrical, green, an inch 
and a halflong. Perianth-tube funnel-shaped, half an inch 
JuNE Ist, 1896. 
