416 TRELEASE— THE DESERT GROUP XOLIXE.-E. [April 21, 



Bcaiicanica hitiiiilis Baker, Journ. Linn. Soc, Bot. 18 : 237. 



Leaves 2-;^ mm. wide. Inflorescence 15 cm. long, 

 with a few suberect basal branches one-third as long. 

 Fruit suborbicular, 7X9 mm., scarcely inflated. Seed 

 very large, 3-4 X 5 mm., prominently exposed. 



East-central Mexico. In the region of A^ JVatsoiii, Calibanus, 

 and Dasylirion Parryanum and graminifolium. 



Specimens examined: San Luis Potosi. Vicinity of San Luis 

 Potosi {Parry & Palmer, 8/j, 1878, — the type). 



N. Watsoni Hemsley, Biol. Centr.-Amer. 3: 372. 1884; 5. pi. p-/. 

 Beaucarnca JVatsoiii Baker, Journ. Linn. Soc, Bot. 18: 236. 



1880. 



Leaves 5 mm. wide, rather concave and unusually rough-margined. 



Inflorescence 25-30 cm. long, with rather numerous 



^ /"T^^ strict branches scarcely one-third as long, smooth or 



© vJv/y somewhat scabrid on the short peduncle. Fruit more 



or less ovate-orbicular, cordately notched, 8 X 8-10 

 mm., inflated. Seed (immature) 2X3 mm. 

 East-central Mexico. In the region of A^ humilis, etc. 

 Specimens examined: San Luis Potosi. Vicinity of San Luis 

 Potosi {Parry & Palmer, 8/4, 1878, — the type, 502, 1878; Schaffner, 

 261, 1879). 



Leaves rather thick, Hnear or narrowly oblong-triangular, scarcely over 12 

 mm. wide, green, more or less concave and unequally keeled on one or 

 both faces, raggedly dentate-scabrous in most species and in age often 

 fibrous-lacerate at tip. Inflorescence usually about as long as the leaves, 

 peduncled, compound-panicled. Bracts not usually very showy. Bract- 

 lets more or less lacerate. 

 Fruit small, not inflated, the relatively large seed early exposed and 

 prominent (pp. 416-420). Erumpentes. 



Inflorescence (as in the last preceding species) often roughened in 

 lines. Pedicels rather thickened in fruit. Acaulescent. 

 Lower bracts' firmly long-attenuate from a somewhat dilated 

 scarious-margined base. 

 Lower panicle divisions much shorter than the subtending 

 bracts, with rather weak strongly ascending branch- 

 lets. 



N. TEXANA Watson, Proc. Amer. Acad. 14: 248. 1879. — Nash, 

 Journ. N. Y. Bot. Card. 6: 48. /. 16. 

 Beancarnea te.vaiia Baker, Journ. Linn. Soc, Bot. 18: 236. 1880. 



