Tas. 8581. 
AGAVE BRACTEOSA. 
Northern Mexico. 
AMABYLLIDACEAE. Tribe AGAVEAE. 
Aaave, Linn.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. iii. p. 738; Baker, Handb, 
Amaryll. p. 163. 
Agave bracteosa, S. Wats. ex Engelm. in Gard, Chron., 1882, vol. xviii. 
p. 776, fig. 158-189; S. Wats. in Proc. Amer, Aead. vol. xviii. p. 162 
(1883); Baked. Handb. Amaryll. p. 192; Hemsl. im Biol. Centr.-Amer. 
vol. iii. p. 340; species A. pruinosae, Lemaire, affinis, sed planta acaul- 
escente foliisque e basi dilatata ad apicem gradatim attenuatis differt. 
Frutex ; acaulescens. Folia circiter 50 rosulatim disposita, e basi 6 em. lata 
et 1:5 cm. crassa ad apicem longe acuminatum gradatim attenuata, 
60 cm. longa, supra basin 3°5 cm. lata, primum sursum curvata, demum 
valide decurva, plano-convexa, marginibus tenuibus minute denseque 
albo-dentatis, subscabrida. Pedunculus 12 dm. altus; bracteae plures, 
subulatae, recurvatae, ad 15 em. longae; spica 60 cm. longa, densiflora. 
Perianthium viride, segmentis albo-marginatis; tubus brevissimus; 
segmenta ovato-oblonga, obtusa, patentia, 12 mm. longa, 7 mm. lata. 
Filamenta filiformia, alba, 6 em. longa; antherae oblongae, luteae, 8 mm. 
longae. Ovarium fusiforme, viride, 15 mm. longae, 5 mm. diametro ; 
stylus albus, stamina demum paulo superans; stigma punctiforme. 
Capsula oblonga, obtusa, 2 cm. longa.—C. H. Wricur. 
The Agave which forms the subject of our illustration 
is a very distinct species belong to the section Littaea, 
which differs from A. pruinosa, Lemaire, where the leaves 
are also finely dentate, in having the leaves gradually 
tapered upwards from a short thickened base, whereas 
in A. pruinosa the leaves are oblong-oblanceolate, and 
are four inches broad or broader above the middle, but 
contract to two and a half inches or less just above the 
base. When first described A. bracteosa was believed to 
have about fifteen leaves in its rosette, but under culti- 
vation the plants have developed many more. A. bracteosa 
was discovered by Dr. E. Palmer about fifteen miles 
from Monterey in the province of Nuevo Leon in Northern 
Mexico, and was introduced by him to the Harvard 
Botanic Garden, where it flowered for the first time in 
1881. It was met with again by Mr. Pringle in the same 
district in June 1889, growing on ‘dry calcareous moun- 
tain walls.’ The plant from which the material for our 
OctoseEr, 1914. 
