Tap, 8214, 
AGAVE Warsont. 
_ 
Central America? 
AMARYLLIDACEAR. Tribe AGAVEAE. 
AaaAvE, Linn.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. iii. p. 733, 
Agave (§ Littaea) Watsoni, J. R. Drummond et C. H. Wright, in Kew Bull. 
1907, p. 322; species A. expatriatae, J. N. Rose, maxime affinis, a qua 
inflorescentia breviore sed latiore, foliorum pagina superiore vix concava et 
spinis marginalibus minoribus parum uncinatis differt. 
Caulis perbrevis. Folia 15-20 densius rosulata, laete viridia; exteriora sub 
anthesin patentia, anguste oblongo-lanceolata, circa 50 em. longa, basi 
tumescente 8 mm. crassa ibique 9°5 em. lata, cervice facie superiore 
convexa 5°5 cm. lata, inde facie superiore fere plana, versus apicem grada- 
tim expansa medioque 7°5 cm. lata; interiora erecta, angustiora, in 
bracteas sensim abeuntia; omnia vitta marginali castanea tandem cineras- 
cente ornata, marginibus aculeis circiter 5 mm. longis basi compressis vix 
uncinatis inter se 2 cm. remotis apiceque spina obtusiuscula 1°8 em. 
longa armata. Scapus fere 2°5 m. altus, ad basin 3°5 em., sub spicam 
floriferam 2 cm. crassus, cylindricus, bracteis imis exceptis patentibus 
subtiliter sulcatis albidis instructus. Flores viridescentes, staminibus pur- 
purascentibus, in spicam densiorem fere 10 cm. latam aggregati. Bracteae 
inter alabastra inconspicuae, vix 1 cm. longae, supra basin abrupte con- 
strictae, conduplicatae, in setas firmas subulatas scariosas abeuntes. 
Ovarium inferum 18-14 mm. longum, 5 mm. latum, subtriquetrum. 
Perianthii tubus supra ovarium abrupte constrictus, manifeste 6-sulcatus ; 
lobi ovario aequilongi, subcarnosi, viridescentes, marginibus albido-pellu- 
cidi. Stylus robustior, 3°5 em. longus, albido-pellucidus, purpurascens ; 
stigma papillosum. 
The Agave here figured flowered at Kew in the spring 
of 1907. As regards inflorescence it is nearest to A. densi- 
flora, Hook. (B. M. t. 5006), which has also somewhat the 
same type of leaf, but with different, far more closely set 
margin-prickles; the apple-green leaf, with an almost 
convex neck, and flat upper surface of the blade, resembling 
that of A. (Huagave) decipiens, Baker, should serve to 
distinguish A. Watsoni from all known Littaeae, not 
excluding A. expatriata, Rose, which is only known to us 
from the author’s photograph and description. 
Desoriprion.—Stem very short. Leaves apple-green, 
15-20 in a moderately dense rosette, the outer, at the time 
SEPTEMBER, 1908. 
