Trelease — The Mexican Fiber Agaves Known as Zapupe. 33 



somewhat abruptly widened or occasionally lenticular, tlie intervening thin 

 translucent margin nearly straight. Inflorescence 3-6 m. high, the upper 

 third or half laxly ovoid-paniculate with outcurved-ascending branches. 

 Flowers short-pedicelled, greenish: ovary 5-6X25 mm., fusiform, somewhat 

 fluted above: tube conical, about 8 mm. long and wide: segments 4-5X20 

 mm.: filaments inserted nearly in the throat, about 35 mm. long. Capsules 

 very infrequent, ovoid, neither stipitate nor beaked. Bulbils abundant, 

 strongly maroon-dotted. 



The blue zapupe, "zapupe azul," ''zapupe de 

 Estopier" or "zapupe de San Bernardo," largely culti- 

 vated in the vicinity of Tuxpam, V. C, etc., for its excel- 

 lent fiber : unknown to botanists as a wild plant, possibly 

 introduced from the Pacific slope and apparently related 

 to the blue "mezcal de Tequila," A. tequilana, from 

 which it differs in its ungrooved end spine, slenderer 

 prickles and, apparently, less common seeding. 



Specimens examined: — Plantations about Tuxpam, Y.C. 

 {Dewey, 651, Feb. 1907, "zapupe azul" — the type; End- 

 lich, Nov. 1905, and July and October 1906, "zapupe;" 

 Lespinasse, October 1905, "zapupe," May and June 

 1908, "zapupe azul," and July 1908, "zapupe de Estop- 

 ier"; Molina, Jan. 1909, "zapupe") and the island of 

 Juana Ramirez {Vincent, November 1908, "zapupe azul" 

 or "P]stopier"). 



Agave Lespinas.sei n. sp. 



Leaves yellowish green, very slightly and transiently glaucous, fibrous- 

 striate in wilting, rather thin, gradually acute, 6-7 X about 150 cm.: spine 

 red-brown, often turning gray in age, smooth, usually glossy, a little curved, 

 broadly triquetrous below, acuminately pointed, obliquely wide-grooved or 

 concavely-flattened, often with a low median keel, to beyond the middle, 

 somewhat produced ventrally and dorsally into the green tissue, 5-6x30-35 

 mm., the rai.sed border at its base decurrent on the margin for about the 

 length of the spine: prickles similarly colored, usually 15-20 mm. apart in 

 the middle, reduced or wanting near the tip, 1-2 mm. long, very slender, 

 straight, recurved, or mostly upcurved, from lenticular bases, the intervening 

 thin translucent margin often slightly repand. Inflorescence, flowers and 

 fruit unknown. Bulbils green. 



The Tepezintla zapupe, "zapupe de Tepezintla" or 

 "zapupe de Vincent," cultivated with the preceding for 

 its fiber, and yielding very good results on Juana Rami- 

 rez: unknown to botanists as a wild plant, but evidently 



