Tas. 4705. 
PITCAIRNIA macrocatyx. 
Large-calyzed Pitcairnia. 
Nat. Ord. BROMELIACE®.—HEXANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 
Gen. Char. (Vide supra, Tas. 4241.) 
* 
PITCAIRNIA macrocalyz ; foliis radicalibus longissimis lanceolatis acuminatis- 
simis inferne longe attenuatis vaginantibus glaberrimis submembranaceis 
costatis inermibus caulinis sensim minoribus, caule elongato subfurfuraceo- 
lanato tereti, racemo laxiusculo, floribus (albis) patentibus demum reflexis, 
bracteis ovatis concavis acuminatis calycem longitudine equantibus, pedi- 
cellis brevissimis, calycis (flavi) ampli sepalis ovatis acuminatis appresso- 
conniventibus, petalis oblongo-lineari-spathulatis subtortis basi esquamosis, 
ovario supero. : 
The present is one of the many South American novelties we 
are accustomed to receive from the Belgian Gardens, without 
name or particular locality*. In no work can we find the present 
species described: but its nearest ally is unquestionably Pit- 
cairnia suaveolens of Lindley in the ‘ Botanical Register,’ tab. 
1069. That has the same large, white, somewhat twisted pe- 
tals, and the same-coloured calyx; but is very different in the 
exceedingly lax raceme, the comparatively small and narrow 
segments to the calyx, inferior ovary, glabrous stem, and very 
narrow leaves. ‘The present has the largest calyx of any species 
known to us, and it is altogether a fine-looking plant. With us 
it flowered in a warm stove in December, 1852. 
Descr. Root-leaves very numerous, crowded, two to three feet 
long, elongato-lanceolate, tapering gradually to an exceedingly 
fine point, and below attenuated into a long convolute base ; the 
texture submembranaceous, colour bright green, the margin quite 
entire, the surface glabrous and free from every kind of villous 
covering. Stem shorter than the leaves, terete, at the base 
* The same plant, indeed, we have received from Mr. Linden under the name 
ol “ Puya maidifolia,’ from Mexico; but the character of that, as given in Wal- 
pers’ ‘ Annales,’ is much at variance with ours. 
MARCH IstT, 1853. 
