Tas. 4709. 
PITCAIRNIA gecuinata. 
Echinated-lowered Pitcairnia. 
Nat. Ord. BroMEL1aceE®.—HEXANDRIA Monoeynia. 
Gen. Char. (Vide supra, Tas. 4241.) 
PrrcarrNta echinata ; foliis radicalibus elongatis lanceolatis acutissimis striatis 
subtus parce fariniosis spinuloso-serratis inferne attenuatis semicylindraceis 
(magis spinosis), caule parce folioso longissimo pulverulento-tomentoso apice 
laxe racemoso-paniculato multifloro, sepalis setis mollibus flavo-virescentibus 
apice uncinato-glandulosis echinatis, petalis (albis) calycem fere duplo supe- 
rantibus, staminibus styloque inclusis. 
A well-marked species of Pitcairnia, received from Mr. Lin- — 
den, under the name of “Powrretia,’ probably from Mexico, — 
but of the locality we can only conjecture. In no work can I _ 
find any such plant described, either under Powrretia or Pit-— 
cairnia, or any allied genera, the limits of which we must con- 
fess are at present very ill-defined. I see no reason however for 
considering this other than a true Pitcairnia, as the genus 1s 
usually considered. It threw up its fine flowering-stems m 
January 1853, and continued a long time in blossom. 7 
Descr. In a flowerless state this p/ant may be considered stein 
less ; the /eaves being all radical, as in the common Pine-apple, — 
very long, two to three feet, elongato-lanceolate, very acuminate, 
carinate, striated, rather full green and glabrous above, beneath — 
pale-coloured and floccoso-farinose, the margin is serrato-spinu-— 3 
lose, but not very strongly so, except towards the much-attenu-— 
ated, conduplicate and almost sheathing, yellow-brown base, 
where the spines are much longer, very numerous, and crowded, __ 
and curved upwards. As the flowering-season approaches, a_ 
stem is thrown up from the centre, which elongates, bearing few 
and gradually smaller leaves, till it forms the almost leafless base 
of the slightly compressed, terminal raceme, when the leaves in- 
sensibly become dracteas. The scape is everywhere pubescenti- 
APRIL Ist, 1853. 
