Tas. 6606. 
PITCAIRNIA atta. 
Native of the West Indies. 
Nat. Ord. Bromettacem.— Tribe Pircatrniex. 
Genus Pircarrnia, L’Herit. ; (Baker in Trimen Journ, Bot. 1881, p. 225.) 
Pircatrnta (Kupitcairnia) alta; acaulis, cxespitosa, foliis basalibus 12-20 lineari- 
loratis 2-3-pedalibus acuminatis recurvatis facie viridibus glabris dorso persis- 
tenter albo-lepidotis prope basin aculeis paucis corneis marginatis, pedunculo 
elongato floccoso foliis pluribus valde reductis praedito, racemis pluribus laxis in 
paniculam amplam aggregatis, pedicellis brevibus, bracteis parvis lanceolatis, 
sepalis lanceolatis uncialibus splendide rubris, petalis concoloribus calyce duplo 
longioribus basi appendiculatis, genitalibus petalis equilongis. 
P. alta, Hassk, Retzia, vol. ii. p.5; Baker in Trimen Journ. Bot. 1881, p. 266. 
P. ramosa, K. Koch in Walp. Ann. vol. vi. p. 82, non Jacq. 
This is the finest, for horticultural purposes, of all the 
Pitcairnias of the bromeliefolia group, as it has an inflo- 
rescence five or six feet in height, made up of numerous 
racemes of flowers in which both calyx and corolla are a 
brilliant coral-red. Although it is now figured for the first 
time, it has been many years in cultivation, having been first 
clearly individualized and excellently described from plants 
of unknown origin in the Botanic Garden at Buitenzorg by 
Dr. Hasskarl in 1856. Our Kew plant was received many 
years ago from Dominica, from Dr. Imray. Our drawing 
was made from this when it was in flower last July. A 
fine specimen was sent by Mr. Bull to the Kew Herbarium 
to be named in October, 1878. A specimen kindly sent 
for comparison by the late Dr. Karl Koch shows that this 
was the plant intended under the name of Pitcairnia 
ramosa in the monograph of the genus which he published 
in the Report of the Berlin Garden for 1857, but the true 
plant of Jacquin is totally different. 
Desor. Acaulescent, densely tufted. Basal leaves from 
FEBRUARY Ist, 1882. 
