174 Dr Graham's Description of New or Rare Plants. 



largingand Hattened towards the stigmata^ which are large, revolute, glan- 

 dular, each with two ascending angles, bright yellow'; germen pale green, 

 with three very unequal wings, the largest acute, the second rounded, the 

 smallest obtuse angled, tri-locular, placentae double in each loculament, 

 waved, extending from the central column, to which they are attached, 

 to the angles, throughout the whole length of the capsule, and every- 

 where densely covered with minute ovules. The male flowers expand 

 first, and one of the females before the other, on the same division of 

 the peduncle. 

 We received a plant of this beautiful species from the Botanic Garden, 

 Berlin, in spring last, under the name of Begonia ciliata, but it differs 

 entirely from the description of that species by Kunth, and I think from 

 every other which is recorded. Its foliage is not equal to B. argyrostigma^ 

 nor the appearance of its stem to B. dipetala^ but it surpasses these and 

 perhaps every other species in cultivation, in the gracefully drooping 

 clusters of its large, bright rose-coloured flowers. It adds greatly to its 

 value that it flowered most freely in the stove during December. I 

 regret that I cannot state from what country it was introduced into Eu- 

 rope. 



Bromelia cruenta. 



B. cruenta; foliis postice glaucis, ecarinatis, serrato-spinosis, obtusis, 

 mucronatis, apice cruentis; spica terminaji, conferta, subsessili in 

 cyatho foliorum ; calycibus acuminatis, nitidis ; bracteis obtusis, cu- 

 cuUatis, viridis. 

 Description. — Plant probably parasitic. Stem short, ascending, cylindri- 

 cal. Stolons axillary, sheathed with large, imbricated, ovate, adpressed, 

 entire scales. Leaves (1^ to 2 feet long, 3 inches broad,) numerous, im- 

 bricated, erect at their base, spreading above, linear, obtuse, mucronate, 

 serrato-spinous, very hard and rigid, bright green and concave above, 

 pruinose in transverse stripes and rounded below, sprinkled irregularly 

 with blood-red stains, and marked with the same colour on the anterior 

 surface for above half an inch at the apex, greatly dilated at their base, 

 and forming a cup, from which water thrown upon the plant does not 

 escape. Spike terminal, capitate, bracteate, but without coma, nearly 

 sessile, and raising only its upper surface above the water which the 

 cup formed by the leaves contains. Bractece^ one on the outside of each 

 flower, ovate, convex internally, and somewhat cucullate, broadest on 

 the outside of the capitulum, and there longer than the calyx, shorter 

 than it in the centre. Flowers expand in succession from without in- 

 wards, generally only one or two at a time, standing three-fourths of an 

 inch above the surface of the capitulum. Calyx ovate, acuminate, green, 

 glabrous, shining, segments overlapping, greatly dilated upon one side, 

 which is scariose, transparent, and passes between the next segment and 

 the corolla (10^ lines long). Corolla (1 inch 44 lines long) 3-parted, seg- 

 ments subequal, unguiculate, claws white, linear, glabrous, equal in length 

 to the calyx (2^ lines broad) erect, bearing on their inside at the base large, 

 connate, smooth, shining, colourless, nectariferous glands ; limb spread- 

 ing, segments ovate, acuminate, blue, slightly striated in the centre, and 

 paler behind and towards the edges. Stamervs inserted at unequal heights 

 into the claws, 3 into one, 2 into another, and 1 into the third ; fila- 

 ments flattened, similar in structure and colour to the claws of the co- 

 rolla, inserted into the back of the anthers, and continued along these 

 to tlieir apices ; anthers projecting into the throat of the corolla, of 

 equal length and approximating at their apices (nearly 3 lines long), 

 white, acuminate, cleft from the base for about a quarter of their length, 

 above which they are connate along the back with the filaments ; pollen 

 white. Pistil equal in height to the stamens ; stigmata 3, flattened, ci- 

 liated on one edge, spirally twisted ; styles 3, united throughout their 

 whole length ; germen inferior, glabrous, 3-c'elled ; ovulse very nume- 

 rous, small, attached to a central receptacle. 



