80 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN. 
inches; November 16, 4 feet, 4 inches; November 19, 5 
feet; November 28, 5 feet, 6 inches, and finally it reached 
6 feet (?). It began to flower on December 9, and con- 
tinued until in January, 1899. This specimen differs con- 
siderably from the one which flowered in 1897,* especially 
in its curved spike, in the fewer bracts on the lower part 
of the peduncle, and in having the flowers borne in clusters 
of 6 to 8, while in the other plant the spike was very stiff 
and erect, the bracts very numerous at the base of the 
peduncle, and the flowers in twos. In most aspects the 
plant which flowered in 1898 corresponds nearly with those 
specimens which have flowered in Europe, although none 
have been described as having so many flowers in a cluster. 
Our specimen may be described as follows : — 
Stem 4 feet high; leaves about 20, 24 to 3 feet long, 6 to 8 inches 
broad; lower bracts leaf-like, scattered, not scarious, ovate, acuminate 
below, acute above, spike green; flowers in clusters of 6 to 8; ovary 
green, 8 to 9 lines long; perianth 12 to 14 lines long, the tube very short 
(2 lines long), the segments oblong, as the stamens protrude becoming 
recurved and as they wither becoming erect again, at first whitish-green, 
later becoming yellowish-green; stamens inserted at the top of the short 
tube, 24 inches long, anthers 10 lines long, pale yellow; style 3 inches 
long. — Plate 7. 
AGAVE HETERACANTHA? 
A plant which I have called Agave heteracantha for the 
present began to flower July 16, and continued until August 
7. Itis not known from what source our plant came but 
it is probably from Northern Mexico. I have referred it to 
A. heteracantha simply because there seems to be no other 
place for it. The species heteracantha, as now treated is 
certainly an aggregate of several species, but it will really 
require considerable field work to clearly define the limits 
of these various forms. Agave Lechuguilla, one of these 
forms, seems, however, to be clearly distinct, being charac- 
terized especially by its very long terminal spine. 
* Rept. Mo. Bot. Gard. 9: 124. pl. 31. 
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