44 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN. 
cultivated at San Antonio, which Mr. Sullivan secured 
through the interest of the Chief of the Revenue Stamp Of- 
fice at La Paz, Sr. Talamantes, show that it is not an indige- 
nous species, but one introduced from the mainland, though 
it proves not to be the “mezcal azul,” A. tequilana, as sup- 
posed when it was used in illustration of that species, but | 
it appears to be the “cuchara” form, which differs in a num- 
ber of characteristic respects from A. tequilana, though as 
yet unnamed botanically. Mr. Sullivan further states that 
the fiber of this cultivated mezcal is extracted to a limited 
extent and that efforts are being made to increase this use 
of the plant. 
SYNOPSIS. 
Shortly caulescent but leafy throughout in a globose or ellipsoid head. 
Leaves hard-fleshy, stiff and straight, typically short and broad: 
spine stout, openly grooved, decurrent: prickles large, often con- 
fluent. Scape very stout, covered by deltoid appressed bracts. Pan- 
icle short with stiff nearly horizontal almost simple branches bearing 
large funnel-shaped flowers in dense almost head-like clusters. Fila- 
ments inserted within the tube. UMBELLIFLORAE. 
Flowers almost sessile in dense bracted clusters: filaments inserted 
about the middle of the tube. Capsules with very thick exocarp 
surrounding a core. A. Shawii. 
Flowers short-pedicelled on longer secondary branches of the pan- 
icle: filaments inserted about the upper fourth of the tube. 
Capsules woody. 
Spines sinuous and rather slender. A. Orcuttiana. 
Spines nearly straight, elongated or very stout if short. 
Prickles gradually tapering from the base. A. sebastiana. 
Prickles much widened at base. 
Capsules oblong: seeds large. A. pachyacantha. 
Capsules pyriform: seeds moderate. A. Goldmaniana. 
Acaulescent. Leaves fleshy, elongated and outcurved: spine stout, 
narrowly grooved, shortly decurrent: prickles rather large, on fleshy 
Seape stout, with triangular recurving bracts. Pan- 
prominences. 
edium-sized golden bell-shaped 
icle ample, decompound, with m 
flowers. Filaments deep-seated. CAMPANIFLORAE. 
Perianth-tube half as long as the segments. A. aurea. 
Perianth-tube rather deep, two-thirds as long as the segments. 
A. promontorii. 
Acaulescent. Leaves fibrous-fleshy, stiff, straight or falcate, typi- 
cally narrow: spine typically slender and narrowly grooved, decur- 
rent: prickles usually moderately large, sometimes friable. Scape 
slender, with triangular suberect bracts. Panicle short with rather 
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