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AGAVE WASHINGTONENSIS AND OTHER AGAVES FLOWERING 
IN THE WASHINGTON BOTANIC GARDEN IN 1897. 
BY J. N. ROSE. 
The Botanic Garden at Washington contains a large and 
valuable collection of agaves. This is said to compare 
favorably with the choice collection at the Kew Gardens, 
though the number of species is perhaps smaller, Unfor- 
tunately the collection has never been critically studied. 
After a somewhat casual examination of a number of the 
plants, it seems to me that there must be several unde- 
scribed species, or else some of them vary considerably 
from published descriptions. Mr. William R. Smith, the 
Director of the Garden, has long been collecting these plants 
as well as caring for those sent in by various government 
collectors. During the winter of 1897 five species flowered 
and were identified by me. This, at first, seems a small 
number, yet when we remember that only twenty-five 
species have flowered at Kew during the last fifteen years, 
it is seen to be a very fair percentage. One of these (A. 
Washingtonensis) appears to be undescribed. Two (A. 
albicans and A. Sartorii) are among the more common 
species, and two (A. attenuata and A. potatorum) are 
rarely seen in flower. 
AcavE Wasuinetonensis Baker & Rose sp. nov. 
In January, 1897, an agave labeled A. Ghiesbreghtii 
flowered for us. I soon saw that it did not belong to that 
species, nor was I able after careful study to place it with 
any described species. Specimens were submitted to Mr. 
J. G. Baker of Kew, who reported that he could not match 
it and that it was probably new. After further study it 
was decided to describe and publish it as new. Since the 
history of the plant has been lost and its habitat is unknown, 
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