‘ Tas. 4883. 
BILLBERGIA ruHopocyanea. 
blue and red Billbergia. 
Nat. Ord. BromeLiaceE®.—HEXxaNpDRIA MoNnoGyNIA. 
Gen. Char. (Vide supra, Tas. 4756.) 
BILuBERGIA rhodocyanea ; foliis erecto-patulis exterioribus recurvatis omnibus 
rigidis lingulatis basi dilatato-amplexantibus canaliculatis spinis nigris mar- 
ginatis minute striolatis glauco-viridibus transversim albo-fasciatis apice 
spinoso-apiculatis, seapo foliis breviore, thyrsoque capitato multibracteatis, 
bracteis lanceolato-acuminatis spinoso-serratis omnibus roseis subfurfura- 
ceis, alabastris roseis, floribus albis apice purpureo-ceruleis. 
BILLBereta rhodocyanea. Lemaire in Van Houtte, Flor. der Gewchshsr. v. 3. p. 
207. Walp. Ann. Bot. v. 1. p. 838. 
Received at the Royal Gardens of Kew from Belgium under 
the above objectionable name—a compound of Greek and Latin. 
We find no locality given. South America abounds in beautiful 
plants of this and of allied genera, which are eminently worthy 
a place in our stoves, and which are neglected by the herbalist 
because they are so troublesome to dry. ‘The present species has 
its dark-green leaves elegantly banded with interrupted lines 
of white; the bracts rose-colour, the rather large corollas white 
tipped with blue. 
Desor. Plants tufted. Leaves radical, outer a foot or a foot 
and a half long, reflexed, inner gradually shorter and more up- 
right, all ligulate, obtuse, with an acuminated mucro, the sides 
incurved, so that the leaf is channelled and almost semicylindrical, 
the colour externally dark green, occasionally tinged with dull 
purple, banded transversely with slightly wavy interrupted white 
lines, the apex is free from these bands, upper or inside of the 
leaves uniform yellow-green ; the margin is beset with very sharp, 
slightly curved, black spinules or prickles, all pointing upwards. 
Scape shorter than the leaves, and almost entirely concealed by 
NOVEMBER lst, 1855. 
