BROMELIACE^E. (PINE-APPLE FAMILY.) 471 



linear-oblong:, cartilaginous, scpticidally 3-valved, each valve separating into 2 

 plates. Seeds erect, club-shaped, pointed, raised on a long and hairy stalk. — 

 Radical leaves mostly crowded, imbricated. Petals fugacious. 



* Stem rigid, erect : flowers spiked, blue. 

 ■*- Leaves broad at the base, gradually narrowed upward. 



. T. Utriculata, Leconto. Leaves scurfy and glaucous, subulate and 

 recurved at the summit, very much dilated, concave and imbricated at the base, 

 shorter than the rigid mostly brandling stem; the uppermost small and sheath- 

 ing ; flowers scattered ; sepals oblong-linear, obtuse, longer than the oblong pu- 

 bescent membranaceous bracts, much shorter than the capsule; petals pale blue, 

 twice as long as the sepals, slightly spreading at the apex ; stamens exscrtcd. — 

 Soutli Florida. June and July. — Stem 2° -3° high. The dilated and imbri- 

 cated bases of the leaves form a kind of cup which commonly contains a consid- 

 erable quantity of water. 



2 T. bracteata, n. sp. Leaves scurfy, concave, gradually narrowed up- 

 ward, subulate and erect at the apex, the uppermost reduced to ovate pointed 

 bracts; stem branched, longer than the leaves; spikes compressed, 2-edged ; 

 bracts ovate, coriaceous, smooth, closely imbricated in two rows, keeled on the 

 back, longer than the linear acute keeled sepals. — South Florida. — Stem 2° 

 high. Leaves l°-l£° long. 



3. T. bulbosa, Hook. Small, very scurfy ; leaves broad and clasping at 

 the base, concave, imbricated, nearly equal, spreading above, shorter than the 

 spike ; spike simple, few-flowered ; bracts oblong, scurfy, imbricated in two rows, 

 longer than the sepals, and half as long as the capsule. — South Florida. — Stem 

 stout, 4' high. Spike 3' -4' long, 6-7-flowered. Leaves 3' - 4' long Corolla 

 purplish blue. 



-t- ■»- Leaves linear or filiform, from an abruptly dilated base. 



4. T. juncea, Leconte. Stem slender, leafy; leaves scurfy, linear, con- 

 cave, recurved, longer than the stem, the lowest ones imbricated, the upper 

 sheathing ; spikes branched, few-flowered ; bracts imbricated, smoothish, acute, 

 longer than the sepals ; petals deep- blue, three times as long as the sepals, re- 

 curved at the apex. — South Florida. — Stem 1° high. Spikes 2' -4' long. 

 Leaves 1°- l£° long. 



5. T. Bartramii, Ell. Stem slender, leafy ; leaves smooth, erect, filiform, 

 straight and rigid, as long as the stem, the upper ones short and sheathing ; 

 spike branched, few-flowered ; bracts scurfy, imbricated, longer than the sepals, 

 nearly as long as the capsule, the lower ones awned ; petals blue, spreading at 

 the apex. — Southern districts of Georgia, Elliott, to South Florida. — Stem 1° 

 high. Spikes 3' -4' long. Leaves bristle-like at the summit. 



6. T. caespitosa, Leconte. Stems low, clustered ; leaves reddish, longer 

 than the stem, scurfy, bristle-awl-shaped, erect, semi-terete, concave at the base, 

 the upper ones scale-like ; spike 3 - 4-flowered ; bracts imbricated ; petals blue, 

 longer than the bracts, recurved at the apex. ( T. pinifolia, I^econte?) — East 

 Florida, Leconte. — Plant reddish, 4'- 5' high, growing in large roundish clusters 

 on the trunks of trees. 



